Thought to be the sweetest fruit, figs are also one of the oldest fruits recognized by man. Believed to be the first plant deliberately bred for agriculture over 11,000 years ago, and more popularly known for clothing Adam and Eve with its leaves, it's no wonder the fig has been enjoyed for centuries. Its sweet, delicious flesh, long used as a sweetener before the advent of refined sugars, enhances both savory dishes and desserts.

Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower that is inverted into itself. The seeds are drupes, or the real fruit. Figs are the only fruit to fully ripen and semi-dry on the tree. Figs grow on the Ficus tree (Ficus carica), which is a member of the Mulberry family.

Beyond its cultural, biblical and even environmental significance (weeping fig trees are known as powerful air cleaning plants), the fig is a nutritious fruit packed with calcium, beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber and powerful antioxidants. And while scary looking fruitcakes have tarnished its reputation in recent decades, the fig is in fact one of the most delicious and versatile fruits around. From being tasty right off the tree to a perfect ingredient for pies, jams and confections, figs make an excellent accompaniment to pork and lamb dishes, go great with goat cheese, and give sauces and tapenades a unique flavor.

There are literally hundreds of fig varieties, ranging in color from nearly black to almost white, and only the female fruits are edible. The green varieties are normally reserved for drying. California is the largest fig producer in the United States, with most of the harvest ending up dried.

The following varieties are grown, dried and packaged for the consumer and the industrial market:

Calimyrna Fig
Noted for its delicious nut-like flavor and tender, golden skin, the Calimyrna fig is the popular favorite for eating out of hand. As the name implies, the Calimyrna is the California version of the Smyrna fig, which was imported by a San Joaquin Valley grower.

Mission Fig
Named for the mission fathers who planted the fruit as they traveled north along the California coast, the Mission fig is famous for its distinctive flavor. The fresh fruit exhibits a deep purple shade which darkens to a rich black when dried, making this fig an aesthetic as well as an edible delight in all recipes.

Kadota Fig
The Kadota fig, the American version of the original Italian Dattato, is thick-skinned and possesses a beautiful creamy amber color when ripe. Practically seedless, this fig is a favorite for canning and preserving as well as drying.

Adriatic Fig
Transplanted from the Mediterranean, the Adriatic fig is the most prolific of all the varieties. The high sugar content, retained as the fruit dries to a golden shade, make this fig the prime choice for fig bars and pastes.

Brown Turkey
A medium-sized fig with maroon-brown skin, it has been adapted to central and east Texas. It is the most common variety in central Texas The fruit is nearly seedless and has a mild sweet flavor. All-purpose usage.

Source: California Fig Advisory Board


Garlic Tools

Garlic is widely used around the world for its pungent flavor, as a seasoning or condiment, and the "stinking rose" has inspired a bevy of gadgets to serve it. There are gadgets for peeling, slicing, grating, keeping, pressing, roasting and storing garlic. An added benefit: No more garlic smell on your hands.

Garlic Peeler - This handy little gizmo peels garlic for you. Simply insert the garlic in the rubber tube and roll it back and forth until you hear a slight "cracking" sound. This is the peel breaking away from the clove. It makes quick work of peeling and keeps your hands clean in the process. This smashes the clove to release the oils and removes the peel in one simple process. With large volume peeling, it can certainly save time.

Garlic Slicer - This is a great tool if you need to make consistently thin slices. A basic four-sided grater works just as well for grating garlic as it does cheese, as long as you don't mind using a disproportionately large piece of equipment.

Garlic Press - This tool crushes the garlic into small bits and releases the juices from the cloves. There are many models on the market with a range of prices. Look for a sturdy construction that easily presses cloves without much muscle power. Some presses are also self-cleaning when you swing the handles in the opposite direction. Then a set of prongs on the backside of the crushing handle pushes through the holes that the garlic just exited, cleaning the residual peel or fiber.

Garlic Mincer - An innovative kitchen garlic gadget that uses the cross-cutting mincing teeth principle to prepare garlic for cooking. It crushes and peels garlic, then minces it to an ideal texture. Some models even neatly gather the minced garlic, and rinse clean after use.

Garlic Roaster - This is not one we consider an essential tool, but if you enjoy the taste of roasted garlic -- which can be added to soups, potatoes and spread on bread slices -- it is nice to have on hand. Garlic roasters usually take the form of small terra-cotta pots with lids that you place the garlic in with a little bit of oil, and roast in the oven.

Garlic Keepers - These are merely for style. Garlic keepers will keep your cloves under wraps while the little holes at the bottom of the container keep the air circulating around the garlic. The important thing about storing garlic is to keep it at a cool temperature, out of direct sunlight and not in the refrigerator.