Today’s fig news -- fake and otherwise -- from S.I. to Timbuktu | Pamela’s Food Service Diary - SILive.com

Posted: 30 Aug 2020 03:00 AM PDT

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- May the figs be with you. Based on correspondence on the ficus over the last few days, it's evident that figs are with us all somehow across the country. So to readers in New York City and outside the region: Thank you for sharing your fig stories and growing advice to fellow figgers -- very much appreciated. And here's a glimpse into what chefs on Staten Island are doing with the ancient fruit -- some fig-spiration for us all!

Fig pie with onions and goat cheese at Pier 76 in St. George is a seasonal treat. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)Staff-Shot

VINUM in Stapleton features them with Prosciutto San Daniele with gorgonzola and, owner Massimo Felici's favorite -- puff pastry piped with gorgonzola cream, fresh figs and briny speck, a combination drizzled with local honey.

Bruno's NYC Bakery has a fig flight, so to speak. The Dongan Hills location offers them stuffed as an appetizer -- goat cheese tucked into the flesh wrapped with prosciutto. The Settepani family also offers a panini version pressed with arugula onto the bakery's fresh baked bread. Salads include the Fig & Arugula -- walnuts, goat cheese and peaches with honey-balsamic dressing -- plus a Fig & Prosciutto Salad with tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. Rosemary-roasted chicken, as an entree, provides the vehicle for figs and caramelized onion served with seasonal veggies.

Of course, there's also a pizza for that on Staten Island. Bruno's NYC offers a white pie with onions, gorgonzola, arugula and balsamic reduction. Pier 76 keeps it real with Brown Turkeys or Sicilian Black figs roasted on fresh mozzarella with a vinegar finish.

And this year, Staten Island has a restaurant with the fruit in its moniker -- Fig & Vine in New Dorp Beach. And, of course, there's a terr-fico field of such on the menu -- flatbread with prosciutto, arugula and goat cheese plus fig jam on a charcuterie board.

"We have our balsamic fig dressing we use to top our vegan stuffed portabella mushrooms and a custom-made fig gelato from Tip The Wagon," said Michael Strickland, the F&G owner. By they way, Tip The Wagon of Tompkinsville blends and boozes up ice cream to which figs are no stranger.

And speaking of spiking with the mulberry-related fruit, Strickland also shakes up a martini made with figs, Stoli Vanilla and a few other flavors for the a-fig-ionato.

True to its name, a fig tree grows on the side of the restaurant.

"It's a monster one!" said Strickland. "Once they start coming out ripe we'll clearly be using them in our dishes."

Fig — This fig tree in Colts Neck, N.J. bears no figs. Its owner Robert DeFalco says 2020 has been off for him and fellow farm growers in the region. (Robert DeFalco)

In the meantime we've heard from Tim Prather, a beekeeper from Maryville, TN who is "blessed with an overabundance of Brown Turkey figs this year."

He reports, "I've been eating lots of figs straight from the tree and making fig and FROG jams."

That word "FROG" refers to the combination of figs, raspberries, oranges and ginger -- citrus and zing used with figs. (Never knew that combo, thank you!)

He corrected a point in a prior article about pollination.

Steve Augello's work of food art: "Walnut on Figs" (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Staff-Shot

He writes, "Figs do have flowers, but they are internal and do not require polinators (bees) to produce a crop. Fig fruits are actually the structure called a syconium that contains the flowers internally." He said when you tear open the fruit you'll only see the actual male and female flowers. As opposed to honey bees, he noted, "There is a tiny wasp that pollinates figs -- inside the ripe fruit -- but has no impact on whether there is a crop of figs for us to enjoy."

Prather noted, "My honey bees love very ripe figs on my fig trees almost as much as I do. They only eat fruit that's ripe and sweet, and most people are scared to pick figs when stinging insects are in there." While he's never been stung yet while picking figs, he certainly watches where he puts his fingers when picking what he wants.

He concluded, "The bees' desire for sweets is stronger than their desire to sting me and then die."

Phyllis Brown from Indiana also reached out. She wondered, "I have two three-year old potted, Chicago Hardy fig trees. This is the first year they produced figs. Saw the pictures on Google and wondered if you are you planting in [the] ground in New York. I want to do that but afraid I will lose them."

One of the fig-xperts mentioned in the story commented up on by Brown was Peter Cundari. He advised, "Keep doing what you're doing over the winter. I would put them in the ground next year after the last frost in your gardening zone."

Figs — Robert DeFalco in Colts Neck, N.J. with one of his favorite white Italian fig trees. (Robert DeFalco)

FAKE FIG NEWS?

We had a few jokers from Westerleigh claiming fake fig news.

"Fig-less! Au contraire," said a fig fanatic from the Prohibition Park area.

Joseph O'Brien who is of the "always sunny in Westerleigh" tribe said he let nature take its course. And by the end of April and first part of May he saw tiny bumps start to appear.

"Then the summer progressed and -- boom -- every tree now has large unripened figs and I am just waiting for a few cool nights so they can ripen," said Joseph. He has learned that to ripen figs cooler nights must prevail.

Fig — It's hard work harvesting, processing and protecting figs from backyard predators, but it is well worth the effort. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)Staten Island Advance file photo

He added, that after Labor Day at least Westerleigh trees do the right thing. And, apparently the same goes for those in Ruth Horowitz' yard.

"I live in Maryland and my fig tree is bursting with fruit," said Horowitz who wrote from the Free State. She added, "I've been picking every day this week and eating them out of hand."

Grower Robert DeFalco of Colts Neck, N.J. confirmed that the fruitless situation in these here parts North (except for Westerliegh, of course.)

"It's been an unseasonably off year for fig growers. Some of my fellow farm growers are experiencing the same thing," he said. Factors might be too much water.

"In our area trees need to be wrapped, and protected from the winter elements," DeFalco said. "Hot weather occurring before the fruit reaches its first bearing may cause figs to drop and die."

He admits of his Mediterranean native, "We are lucky to see it come to fruition in our growing zone. Mother Nature may have thrown us a curveball or spitball with a COVID pandemic, but let's thank her for all else."

He offers condolences and, true to a fig tree owner's DNA, Mikey offered cuttings to Loretta Drogon who lost her tree (Mario) over the winter.

In the late spring when our boys were finally venturing out of the house after the COVID quarantine, my 11-year old was riding his bike near the Silver Lake Golf Course. A man walked across the street with a leafy plant in a pot he transported on his head and my kid recognized its finger-like leaves.

James asked, "Is that a fig tree?" To which the man said, "How did you know, kid?"

Like an old friend, there is the ficus.

Keep in touch.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

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Today’s fig news -- fake and otherwise -- from S.I. to Timbuktu | Pamela’s Food Service Diary - SILive.com

Today’s fig news -- fake and otherwise -- from S.I. to Timbuktu | Pamela’s Food Service Diary - SILive.com

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