Yesterday I received a text from my mom with a picture of our first fig harvest of the Fall! Now, for the past ten years or so, we've been trying to nurture a fig tree out of sapling-hood. We are probably on our fifth fig tree since first attempting. For context, my home is in central Maryland where there are four seasons, and the winter can be brutal if it wants to be. Our history of fig tree failures has much to do with the fact that we never actually plant it in the ground. We have a nice, massive planter so that when the first frost comes, sometime in October, we can conveniently shuffle the pot inside for a more sheltered environment, until the Spring comes. This is called overwintering. Now, this planter is about the size of a medium sized coffee table and is filled with rocks, on the bottom for drainage, and a lot of soil. Not to mention that actual tree. So to say that it is heavy is an understatement. There may have been more than a few back straining incidences over the years that has resulted in us "accidentally" leaving the plant outside. It's a wonder that luck is against us. NONETHELESS, this particular year, the tree has decided to be a success!
Apparently some don't have the same struggles as we do: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1882044/how-to-kill-a-fig-tree
So keep an eye out at the market for figs as they should be coming in season fairly soon in upstate New York. If in fact you find some and are curious what to do with them, here are some suggestions...
1. Fig and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad: There are a ton of variations of and additions to this, but I think it's best with a honey and balsamic dressing. Throw some walnuts in there, why not.
2. Homemade Fig Newtons! http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/homemade-fig-newtons-recipe/
3. Fig-Bran Muffins http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/fig-bran-muffins-recipe.html
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