Figs Forever

By: Naomi Ross

The last days of summer are coming, even though we all hope they will stretch on just a little while longer. I am reminded of this truth when checking on our fig tree. Her petite fruits are just now becoming ripe after a whole season of patiently watching them grow. It takes the whole summer to develop and ripen and now they are just about ready to pick.

We planted what I mockingly called “the fig stick” about seven years ago. She was a tiny little planting, and I doubted she would survive to produce fruit. To my husband the farmer’s credit, he believed, he waited, he nurtured, and we all watched each year as it actually grew. The leaves got bigger and lush, offshoots spread in all directions. The first year it grew figs, there were three. The next year there were eight. Hope grew and so did the figs.

As the new year approaches, we look for newness and inspiration. We search ourselves for how to make meaningful changes that have staying power. I look in my own backyard to take a lesson from the figs, which ripen each at their own pace, each in their own time. Figs are one of the “shivat haminim” (the seven species of special to the Land of Israel including wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates). And indeed, they are. The plump beauties I have encountered on my trips—weighty and dripping with honey—certainly dwarf my modest smaller homegrown fruits. Dark and dull on the outside, you only have to pull them apart to reveal the rosy-red juiciness that lies within the myriad internal flowers that are the actual fruit. It says in the Talmud that Torah is like a fig tree, which has fruit at various stages of ripening; the longer one works at it, the more one finds. A compelling reminder that each day there is something new to learn, ripe for the picking and filled with blossoms of potential. That’s an idea to start the New Year with. That’s a hopeful newness to bless. If you are looking for a new fruit for the holiday, move over cherimoya…the fig is back.

Not only delicious to snack on, figs also lend a terrific element to cooked dishes. They possess a delicate sweet flavor that can add depth and sweetness to your holiday cooking. Pairing veal with fresh figs worked wonderfully when developing the following holiday recipe, infusing the meat with subtle fruitiness.

{Veal Roast with Muscato-Fig Sauce

A tender holiday roast with the festive sweetness of dessert wine and figs. Can be made ahead and frozen. Slice before serving.

Yield: Serves 6

Cook’s Note: A meat thermometer is an invaluable tool in determining perfectly cooked meat. Be sure to use one for perfectly moist veal.

This recipe can also be made with a large turkey roast—cook until reaching 158 degrees F internally.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

½ small fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped (a scant cup)

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 shallot, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (3½-pound) veal shoulder roast

¼ cup honey

10 fresh or dried black mission figs, halved

1 cup Muscato (sweet white wine)

¼ cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided or more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place chopped onion, fennel, garlic, and shallot in the bottom of a medium roasting pan (large enough to fit a rack). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste; toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place a roasting rack over vegetables. Rub remaining 1 tablespoon oil all over the veal roast and season liberally with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Place roast on the rack.

2. Roast for 10 minutes, until browned. Turn roast over and repeat for an additional 10 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and reduce oven to 325 degrees F. Drizzle honey over roast and add figs and wine to the bottom of the pan. Cover with tented foil and return to oven. Bake for 1½ hours or until meat thermometer reaches 155 degrees F internally.

3. Remove from oven and transfer roast to a platter or cutting board. While veal rests, pour the contents of the bottom of the pan through a sieve set over a small saucepan. Reserve the figs and set aside. Press the vegetables against the sieve to release any additional liquid into the saucepan. Discard vegetables.

4. Add stock and cornstarch to saucepan; whisk to blend until completely dissolved. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking often, until mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency (can coat the back of a spoon).

5. To serve: slice veal crosswise into thin slices. Transfer to platter and pour sauce over veal (or serve on the side in a gravy boat). Garnish with reserved cooked figs. 

Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer based in Woodmere, NY. She teaches classes throughout the country and writes articles connecting good cooking and Jewish inspiration. Her first cookbook, The Giving Table, was released in 2023. Follow her @naomirosscooks on Instagram/FB or visit her website: naomirosscooks.com.