Just when you think the growing season in Haywood County, NC, can’t possibly get any more delicious…along comes fig season at Wildcat Ridge Farm in Clyde, NC. Don’t recall seeing “fig season” listed on any calendar or Farmers’ Almanac? Just try to telling that to fig lovers and see how far your arguement goes!
Higo (in Spanish), Figue (in French), Feige (in German), and Fico (in Italian)—Figs are appreciated around the world for their delicate flavor while also providing “edible shade” for gardens (both formal and informal). Commonly considered a fruit, figs are actually a flower that is inverted into itself. They have been cultivated for thousands of years. Today, figs are grown to be enjoyed fresh, preserved, baked into cakes or delicate pastries.
Botanists believe that the common fig probably originated in the fertile part of southern Arabia and ancient records show that the Sumerians and Assyrians were also familiar with it. The cultivated fig industry, however, most certainly began in western Asia or Asia Minor, probably in that center of ancient civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers known as Mesopotamia.
Today, there are about 470 varieties of common figs—the type grown in the southeast.
In Haywood County, no one knows figs better than Chef Ricardo Fernandez and his wife Suzanne, who own and operate Wildcat Ridge Farm in Clyde, NC. Wildcat Ridge Farm cultivates and retails a wide variety of gourmet fig trees in containers ranging in size from 4’ to 7’. Trees can be purchased directly from the farm, see website for buying information.
To celebrate “fig season,“ Chef Ricardo will be hosting “All about Figs!” on Saturday, August 30, 2014, as part of his Mountain Cooking Club.
Location: Fines Creek Community Kitchen
Address: 192 Fines Creek Road in Clyde, NC 28721
Time: 10:30am–1:00pm
The event will feature the following:
For the Pantry:
Fresh Fig & Port Preserves
Salad:
Prosciutto, Mozzarella Pearls and Fresh Fig Salad
Entrée:
Seared Sirloin Steak with Fresh Fig Salsa
Desserts:
Fresh Fig & Raspberry Galette
Balsamic Glazed Roasted Figs with Mascarpone Cream,
Pistachios & Honey
For reservations & pricing, contact Chef Ricardo at 828.627.6751 or by emailing chefricardos@gmail.com
For a delicious recipe featuring Roasted Figs with Gorgonzola & Prosciutto from award-winning Chef Ricardo, visit the Wildcat Ridge Farm website!
Source: Fig history courtesy of Clemson University Cooperative Extension