| featured foods: |
| Avocados |
| Blueberries |
| Carrots |
| Cherries |
| Chile Peppers |
| Cruciferous Crops |
| Dates |
| Figs |
| Heirloom Vegetables |
| Peaches |
| Persimmons |
| Pomegranates |
| Roots |
What's Special
Figs
The genus Ficus encompasses over 800 plant species, the most well-known of which is Ficus carica, the species that creates the edible fruits that are right now beginning to flood the farmers’ market. While most people in this country have tried Fig Newtons, and some know figs for their place in literature and mythology, many have never bitten into a fresh, ripe fig. But in California, where figs thrive, they are a common backyard tree and a familiar sight to farmers’ market regulars. The fig’s plump, slippery sweetness teases us at the beginning of summer and overwhelms us at the end.
Indeed, many fig varieties have two distinct harvests. The first harvest, which happens in June, is called the breba crop. The fruits of this harvest tend to be less sweet and more acidic than the flavorful main crop, which is larger and lasts longer. Right now, the main fig crop is just beginning.