Ancient, unique and versatile

Photo:Marion van Dijk Nelson Mail

Figs are a luscious fruit, even called tantalising by some, with a unique taste and texture that combines sweet, juicy red flesh, smooth skin that easily splits apart, and crunchy edible seeds.

There are apparently more than 150 varieties of fig, and it is one of the oldest known fruits. Figs are native to a wide area ranging from India to Turkey, and there are references to them dating back to 2500-3000BC. In ancient Rome, they were considered a sacred fruit.

Figs prefer a Mediterranean climate, so they grow well here. They don't like wet weather while the fruit is developing, or too much cold in winter, especially when the trees are young. The fruit is very delicate and does not have a good shelf life, and this is the main reason why it is difficult to find fresh figs in the supermarket. If you don't have a tree yourself, hopefully you have friends who do, who will share their bounty.

Dried figs are easily available year round, and many recipes use them very effectively. Methods for drying figs include dehydration, sun drying and oven drying. The fruit must be fully ripe to have a well-developed flavour after drying.

When purchasing figs or picking them from the tree, they should have a rich colour and be plump and ripe to the feel, but not mushy. Ripe figs will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, but they should be stored flat in a shallow container so they do not bruise, and covered to protect them from other smells.

Aside from being truly delicious, figs are also good for you. They are high in potassium and are an excellent source of dietary fibre. They are also a source of calcium, iron and phosphorus. They even have small quantities of vitamins C and B. In fact, they have the highest mineral content of any common fruit.

Some early figs begin to ripen now and will be in their prime in about a month, so don't delay.

Fresh figs can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes, for entrees, mains or desserts. They combine beautifully with goat cheese or cream cheeses such as mascarpone, and taste great drizzled with balsamic vinegar or vincotta (cooked grape must). They work well with wine, honey and sugar. They are very tasty with ham or prosciutto, make beautiful jam (combined with ginger, cinnamon and cloves), and respond well with the sour elements of citrus. The following recipes experiment with some of these taste combinations.

Pork with figs and balsamic vinegar
Serves 4

1 tbsp butter
Quarter cup of chopped shallots
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
6 fresh figs, cut into quarters
Half cup of cream
1 tbsp Italian parsley
2 pork fillets, sliced

Season the pork with salt and pepper and saute in a heavy-bottomed pan in some olive oil until cooked through. Set aside in a warm oven.

Melt the butter in the same pan and saute the shallots until golden. Add 2 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar and cook for a minute before adding the chicken stock. Reduce by half.

Add the figs and the cream and cook until the sauce has thickened. Add the remaining tablespoon of balsamic.

Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the pork on four plates, place the figs and sauce around the pork and sprinkle with the parsley.

Prosciutto, fig and goat cheese salad with baby spinach
Serves 4


Photo: marion van Dijk Nelson Mail

12 figs
200g fresh goat cheese
12 slices of prosciutto (use the prosciutto the same day it is sliced; it begins to go hard otherwise and is not as delicious. Try the Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Halifax St, Nelson for freshly sliced prosciutto)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make a salad dressing. Use three parts oil (3 tbsp) to one part balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp). Add one clove of pressed garlic, sea salt and lots of black pepper. Mix well to combine.

Arrange the baby spinach leaves on four plates and allow three halved figs per plate. Drizzle the dressing over the figs, then top with the cheese, crumbled generously on each plate. Top with the slices of prosciutto. Serve immediately.

Figs poached in thyme and white wine with mascarpone

Half a cup of runny honey
750ml dry white wine
Peel of one lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
A handful of fresh thyme
1 cinnamon quill
6 white peppercorns

Combine the honey and wine. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly until the honey is dissolved. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, thyme, cinnamon and peppercorns. Put the figs into the wine syrup and simmer for 5 minutes, Remove the figs with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the poaching liquid to about a cup. Strain and pour over figs and chill. Serve with a heaped spoonful of mascarpone.

Little green cuisine machines

Photo: Rob Corlett

Slice a lime in half and the sharp, floral aroma hits the nose. Taste it, and the sour flavour hits the palette. It is an intense flavour that is significantly different to the lemons we are so familiar with in New Zealand.

Once you start to use limes in cooking, you will never go back. Add a squeeze of lime to sauces and dressings, and it will lift the flavour and add a special dimension to familiar dishes.

Lime juice and lime zest add flavour to so many dishes, and can also reduce the amount of salt you might otherwise use.

Limes are firmer than lemons to the touch, and the flesh is also firm.

In Mexico, they have a marvellous gadget called a lime press (these can be bought online through www.mexifoods.co.nz - or, if you are lucky enough to be able to go shopping at Moore Wilson Fresh in Wellington, they stock them there as well). Take a halved or quartered lime, cut slightly on the diagonal to release the juice from the juice sacs, place in the press and squeeze. It is a really effective method and extracts more juice than a regular squeezer. It is a good investment for lemons as well.

Limes are grown extensively in many parts of the world. They are a significant crop in India, Mexico, Egypt, the West Indies, the tropical Americas and the Pacific Islands. In New Zealand, they are primarily grown in the East Cape area around Gisborne.

The lime tree is more sensitive than the lemon tree. It does not like cold and thrives in a warm, moist climate.
Photo: Rob Corlett Limes on sale at Fairway Supermarket,NYC
In the top of the south, despite the climate, we have a commercial grower or two.

John Hicks of Mariri, trading as Vertu Speciality Foods, grows limes in tunnel houses to protect them from frost. He has over 100 Tahitian lime trees.

Debbie Campbell in Golden Bay has a seven-hectare organic piece of land called Bay Subtropical, where she is able to grow limes, other citrus fruits and avocados in a special microclimate that is frost-free. Limes can be purchased from her year-round.

There are two main types of limes cultivated today: the Tahitian lime, also known as the Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) and the Mexican, West Indian or key lime (Citrus aurantifolia).

The Mexican or key lime is smaller and seedier than the Tahitian lime and has higher acidity and a stronger aroma, as well as a thinner rind. The Tahitian lime has almost no seeds and is slightly sweeter in flavour.

The Mexican lime tree has thorns and is native to Southeast Asia. It made its way to the Americas and the Florida Keys, where the famous key lime pie originates from. Most of the commercial crop in New Zealand are Tahitian limes.

Both limes are actually yellow when fully ripe but are often picked in their green state.

The lime season in New Zealand is from March to September, and most of the limes in supermarkets before March will be imported, hence the high price tag. Local limes cost $4 to $10 a kilogram in season.

Photo: Rob Corlett

Terry Knight of Schnapp Dragon Distilleries in Golden Bay claims as much of the local crop as he can to make his Lime Liqueur - a delicious drop served straight, or on ice, or as a long drink with soda and a sprig of mint as a garnish. If you haven't tried it yet, it is a must. Visit him at the Nelson Saturday market and you might be lucky enough to score some of his lime essence - a byproduct of making the liqueur. This thick, sweet lime concentrate is a marvellous marinade for meat or fish and will give a salad dressing an extra kick.

Limes are fantastically versatile and make splendid desserts such as flans, tarts, mousses and sorbets. They can be substituted for vinegar or lemons in dressings and are a key ingredient in sauces in both Asian and Latin cooking. Use both the juice and the zest to make a perfect dipping sauce along with chilli and fish sauce.

Play around with the proportions of lime to other ingredients. Limes are also essential for a perfect margarita.

Photo:marion van Dijk Nelson Mail

Lime Tart
For crust:
300g plain flour
100g icing sugar
Zest of 2 limes
160g unsalted butter
2 to 3 eggs

For custard:
6 medium eggs
230g caster sugar
Zest of 2 limes
200ml freshly pressed lime juice
230ml cream
Icing sugar for garnish

Make the crust by mixing the icing sugar, flour and zest, crumbling these ingredients in a food processor or beating with an electric mixer until a crumb-like mixture forms. Add the beaten eggs until a paste is formed. Do not over-mix, or the pastry will become tough.

Rest the pastry for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, then roll it out on a floured bench. Roll the pastry back on the rolling pin, being gentle, as it is very delicate.

Using floured fingers, press the dough evenly into a 30cm fluted tart pan (3-4cm deep) with a removable base, lining the bottom and sides. Chill the shell until firm (about 30 minutes).

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line the shell with greaseproof paper or foil and fill it with pie weights or rice up to 2.5cm deep, but leaving the centre of the case free of weight. Bake it in the middle of the oven until the edge is pale golden (about 20 minutes).

Carefully remove the paper/foil and weights, and further bake the shell until its edge is golden and the bottom is pale golden (about 20 minutes more). Cool completely in a pan on a rack.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150C and make the custard. Mix the eggs, zest and sugar in a bowl with a whisk (do not beat) until the sugar is mixed. Add lime juice. Beat the cream lightly and add to the mixture. Whisk gently until it is well mixed.

Set the tart shell (still in its pan) on the oven rack and pour in three-quarters of the custard mixture. Carefully put the tart in the middle of the oven and pour the remaining custard into the shell with a small cup. Bake until the custard is set (about one hour). Cool the tart completely in the tart pan on a rack, then chill until cold (at least two hours).

The tart shell can be baked three days ahead.

Lime and Mint Dressing
2 cloves garlic, mashed or finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, medium hot
2 Tbsp chopped mint or coriander
Juice and zest of 3 limes
1 Tbsp raw sugar or Terry's lime essence (see main article)
6 Tbsp good-quality olive oil
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly and serve. Drizzle over fish, chicken or lamb. You can substitute coriander for the mint.

Margaritas
For 4 people
Juice of 8 limes
8 shots of tequila
6 shots of Cointreau
Lots of ice

Load a big jug with ice and pour in the tequila and Cointreau. Add the lime juice and stir. Salt the rim of four margarita glasses by pouring salt on to a bread and butter plate, running a cut lime around the surface of the rim and then crunching the rim into the salt until it is coated. Serve the margaritas with a slice of lime floating in the drink.