Figs

This house came with a fig tree.  When we moved in nine years ago, it was more of a fig bush--about four feet tall, planted right up against the southwest corner of the house.  Apparently it's a good spot, fairly well protected from winter nastiness and exposed to a good amount of sun; we completely ignore it, yet the thing is now taller than our two-story house.  We can pick the figs while standing on the second story deck.  We also share the figs with lots of local wildlife.  The figs are just beginning to ripen, but the squirrels and cardinals can't wait.  It looks like every almost ripe fig is half-eaten, or at least has a few pecks.  The squirrels even leave the rinds on the deck railing (along with little piles of squirrel droppings).  Thank you so much.

Once the figs really start to ripen, we'll have enough to share with the critters.  So what do we do with figs?  My husband likes to eat fresh figs, but he's the only one in the house who does.  I've taken a bowl to work to share.  We also dry them--just cut them in half and put them on the dehydrator for a day or two.  Dried figs are pretty good in trail mix.  The owner of our local gelato shop said she'd make a batch of fig gelato if we brought her a kilo, so that's another option.  If I were really ambitious I'd look for fancy recipes, like figs wrapped in prosciutto.  But it's almost time to go back to school--so I'll probably just leave them to the squirrels.