Forbidden Fruit

            There is something wonderful and deeply affecting about the feel of late summer as it slips into Autumn. Often, in September, I leave for the south of France—a great time to go as the tourists begin their departure, the ocean's indulgently warm from long summer days, and a golden light casts its glow across the land. There's a hint of something that signals lengthening nights, shortening days, yet days whose beginning brevity is filled with brilliant clarity of light.

            But it is the market fare, perhaps most of all, that keeps me returning. And with the exception of olive oil and lavender in abundance, the good news is, we have it all right here in our Blue Ridge backyards. Queen Anne’s Lace and Goldenrod join floral bouquets, and root vegetables start appearing beside end-of-summer tomatoes. A few vendors will begin offering che—and then there are the figs. Or as Liz Gilbert put it in Eat, Pray, Love, “Dear God, the figs.”Amen to that; I go gaga over figs. And yes, there is D. H. Lawrence, too. But he takes us down a slippery, if juicy, slope and I fear next we'd be on to Italian words for fig, with their cognates and homonyms—particularly dangerous for the unwary foreigner. (And who said the forbidden fruit was an apple, anyway? Don't fig trees dot the Mediterranean, and didn't Adam and Eve wear fig, not apple, leaves?) Italian Lotharios aside, if you're lucky enough to have a fig tree laden with the world's most sensuous fruit, or even a neighbor's tree from which to indulge, or simply a good market . . . go on, pluck luscious figs, and gobble (I mean eat) then sate yourself with September's pure light.

    For the proper way to eat a fig, you may refer to Lawrence, or you can listen to us at Basics extoll the virtue of figs at any occasion. For appetizers: stuffed figs with chèvre or blue cheese. Add salty almonds for crunch and contrast; the sweet/salty combination is a palate pleaser. Nut Allergy? Replace almonds with salty prosciutto. To pop flavors even more and increase eye appeal, paint with Tili Balsamic vinegar, or drizzle with honey and you've transformed your versatile appetizer into a cheese course or dessert. Pair with White Hall Pinot Gris, 2017, $26.99 – Notes of peaches, pears, almonds, honeydew and honeysuckle compliment the sweet fig and provide contrast to salty flavors.

            For main courses, pair raw or cooked figs with pork dishes or root vegetables for added richness. Pair Autumn stews with Pinot Noir or Syrah.

            Let's not skip dessert, especially when figs abound. Some of the best desserts I've had celebrate the simplicity of fresh fruit in season.  You need nothing more than a basket of fresh figs and a bit of wine or brandy. Poach figs lightly, spices optional.  Pair with Maury from France's Roussillon, or for true decadence and palate-blowing experience, pop the cork on Tessa and Monique LaRoche's Domaine aux Moines, Savienneières, Roche aux Moines, Cuvée de l'Abbesses, $60. Happy September. We've come a long way from Fig Newtons.

Kay Pfaltz