Luscious Black Mission Figs

For what seems like a fleeting moment each summer, tree-ripened Black Mission figs hit the market in abundance. Glistening with a sweet, sticky nectar across the dark, leathery skin, the fig beckons with a promise of a honeyed, sexy filling of soft pink flesh. One bite into this ripe fruit leaves no doubt that it was the figs of Eden and not the apples that tempted Eve with sin.

Figs are some of the oldest described fruits in existence, synonymous with Middle Eastern culture and cuisine. Fresh figs have a honey-like flavor with a silky smooth texture, perfect eaten on their own or used in an endless array of simple desserts.

Everyone has surely eaten Fig Newtons at one time or another, but these delicious fruits are equally wonderful sliced and dropped over ice cream. Drizzled with a splash of late-harvest Riesling wine or some golden honey, a dessert doesn't get much better.

I picked up a package of figs this week at the local Trader Joe's. After eating quite a few on their own, I was inspired to use them in a simple, rustic tart - actually, a galette. Prepared in a pastry, the flavor of the baked figs intensifies and melds nicely with some exotic spices and a flaky crust.

I flavored the fruit in the pastry with a few tablespoons of brown sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and a tiny sprinkling of ground cardamom for an aromatic, Arabian Nights kind of nuance. Once the tart was assembled, a drizzle of honey completed the decadent combination.

Fig Galette

1 rolled out, single-crust pie crust

1 T flour

18-20 ripe Black Mission Figs, halved

3 T light brown sugar

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground cardamom

2 T honey

Prepare tart dough and roll out to approximately the size of a large dinner plate on a piece of plastic wrap. Trim the dough into a round, and transfer to a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the dough with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Cover with halved figs, and drizzle with honey. Refrigerate tart for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F. After refrigerating tart, bake the tart for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F, and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Check the tart periodically, and cover edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Cool cooked tart on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 6