Figgin' Lunch! Guess Which Fruit Is In Season?
I love seeing figs at those fruit stands you pass by in the city. That means there will be better figs at the farmers market on Sunday. Fig snob as I may be...wow, I hope I never say that again, this fruit may be my favorite to incorporate into my favorite meal of the day. It pairs really effortlessly with cheese, meat, poultry, salumi, even condiments (not all condiments, just some). Here are a few ways to invite them to lunch.
Normally I'd save this one for last, but it's my favorite, so it's first. It's chicken salad. How many times have I written about chicken salad as the culinary blank canvas of my dreams? At least six. Here's what you do: chopped figs, crumbled goat cheese, lots of freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and chicken. That is my favorite fig-friendly chicken salad. Also nice tossed with pasta.
Next, oh my god I am so excited, a BLT. Just like tomatoes and peaches or other stone fruit go perfectly together, so do tomatoes and figs, just believe me. Figs and bacon also go perfectly, bacon and mayo, lettuce and tomato, bread and fillings, it's all there! Add a layer of thinly sliced figs to your BLT and thank me later.
Moving on, we have the following other honorable mention sandwiches that welcome figs:
- Terrine
-
Grilled cheese, particularly if brie is involved - Or, as the fruit in any of our 14 cheese and fruit sandwich ideas. There's literally no cheese on the planet that's not delicious with fresh figs.
- Pâté
- Turkey club
And lastly, I recently enjoyed a bagel with cream cheese and sliced figs, as I was out of lox and...no. No. I live on the Upper West Side. I have zero excuse for why I had no lox. I was plain old lazy, I admit this to you. But laziness is also how I discovered that mascarpone on a bagel instead of cream cheese is delicious. And that day I did have lox. But don't pair figs and lox.
So get 'em while they're ripe enough to spread with a butter knife, fig season is no time to break out the jarred stuff, and give apples a break from all the attention they've been getting.
More fruit for lunch on Food Republic: