6 Comments

Well done Amy! You are such a great writer!

I love figs! My first introduction to figs was when I was a kid playing outside all day :). They grow naturally outside in a few areas in Jerusalem and we used the fig milky white sap to treat small wounds.

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That's really interesting! I didn't know that fig sap has antiseptic qualities. Did you have a favorite dish in Israel that you like to eat using figs?

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My mom used to make the BEST beef stew with Figs and red wine.

I found a similar recipe on "valleyfig.com" to what my mom used to make:

Ingredients

9 ounces Figs

2 1/2 pounds beef round or lean stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil, divided use

1 large yellow onion chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/2 cup sodium-reduced beef broth

1 cup full-bodied dry red wine

2 large carrots cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 bay leaves

3 strips lemon zest* 3/4- x 3-inch

3/4 cup kalamata olives quartered, pitted

Chopped fresh thyme or Italian parsley

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Sounds delicious! Definitely going to give that a try this fall.

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Great story. I love figs. My mother and father-in-law had a large tree in front of their house in Mexico. They grew very well in that environment. Hmmmm, wonder if I can grow a fig tree here in Tennessee. …

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That's wonderful your in-laws had a tree. I wonder if they had any specific Mexican recipes they used them for? And good question on Tennessee! A lot has to do with frost, I'm told.

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