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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST 2015 Food 35 Fine food of the week NOTHING says summer heat quite like figs. At a time when other fruit and vegetables seem to have given up and withered up, the Maltese fig defies the intense summer heat and produces sweet and succulent, juicy fruit. The last of the figs, known as farkiz- zan in Maltese, are available at the moment. Make the most of the sweetest of all the figs. The silvery bark and large, green leaves Adam and Eve deemed fit for underwear signifies Maltese nature, growing in back gardens and in the countryside yielding cheap fruit with a complex tex- ture, combining the chewiness of the fruit with the smoothness of the skin and crunchiness of the seeds. Adding the fruit's mystique is the relatively short season, as fig trees tend to produce fruit all at once, so though they are abun- dant at this time of year it is also impossible to stagger the har- vest and keep them going a little longer. Dried figs are also available on the market, retaining some of the sweet flavours and almost all of their nutritional properties. Figs go back to the dawn of time, having been referred to in the Bible and other ancient writ- ings. They are thought to have been first cultivated in Egypt and then spread to ancient Crete and Greece where they became a sta- ple food in traditional diets. Figs were held in such high esteem by the Greeks that exports of the best quality figs were forbidden by law. In ancient Rome figs were con- sidered sacred. According to myth it was a fig tree that the wolf that nurtured the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, stopped to rest under. The fruit eventually made its way to the Mediterranean with the Spanish conquerors in the early 16th century. Selection and storage Figs are highly perishable and will only last a day or two after purchase, even if they are kept in the fridge. Look for figs with a deep, rich colour that are plump and tender but not mushy. They should have firm stems and be free of bruises. The smell of a fig will also give away its freshness. The sweet smell of a ripe fig quickly turns sour and a little bit like alcohol and the fruit starts to spoil and ferment. As with all fruit, select the ripe ones as according to research at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, fruit which is very ripe and on the verge of spoiling con- tains the most antioxidants. Serving ideas Though figs are fantastic on their own, just washed, peeled and chilled, there are many dif- ferent ways in which they can be enjoyed. • When preparing oatmeal or any other whole grain break- fast porridge, add some dried or fresh figs. • Poach figs in juice or red wine and serve with yogurt or fro- zen desserts. • Add quartered figs to a salad of fennel, rucola and shaved Parmesan cheese. • Fresh figs stuffed with goat cheese and chopped almonds can be served as hors d'oeuvres or desserts. • If you can stand the heat, use the glut of figs to make jam and preserve the sticky good- ness for the winter to come. Fig jam is great on toast or as an accompaniment to a cheese platter. Figs – Maltese summer's jewels Ingredients For the stock • 8 ripe figs • Large knob of butter • 4 tbsp clear honey • Handful shelled pistachio nuts or almonds • 1 tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice • Mascarpone or Greek yogurt • 1 tbsp blackcurrant jam Method 1. Heat grill to medium high. Cut a deep cross in the top of each fig then ease the top apart like a flower. 2. Sit the figs in a baking dish and drop a small piece of the butter into the centre of each fruit. 3. Drizzle the honey over the figs, then sprinkle with the nuts and spice. 4. Grill for 5 mins until the figs are softened and the honey and butter make a sticky sauce in the bottom of the dish. 5. Mix the mascarpone with the blackcurrant jam until rippled through. 6. Serve the figs warm, with dol- lops of mascarpone and jam. This recipe first appeared on Gour- met Today TV, aired on TVM on 10 July, 2015. Recipe of the week Sticky figs with mascarpone and blackcurrant