This morning, as I do many summer mornings, I went for a walk in the hills near my house. I did it for exercise, sure. But I also did it because I was hungry for a fig sandwich. Figs taste best when they’re still warm from the sun– with perfectly ripe red flesh and crunchy seeds. The only way to positively get figs that good is to forage them yourself (or pay a bloody fortune).
We in California are blessed with what’s known as a Mediterranean climate. Which has a great many advantages besides mild temperatures and year-round sunshine. One of the greatest pleasures in my life is the simple act of pulling a piece of soft purple fruit off a tree branch hanging over the walkways of the streets where I live. Of course “pulling” is not quite the right word. The best way to harvest a soft, ripe fig is to gently twist it off the branch. I’ve had practice, so I know.
I call this practice urban foraging. Today’s fig sandwich is a product of some of my foraging adventures.
It’s true that I talk about urban foraging on this blog a lot. I talk about sustainable seafood incessantly too I realize. That’s because these are two areas where I feel I can actually make a difference in this great big world. After all, a fig sandwich, no matter how delicious is still just a recipe. But the love and lore of figs is something else entirely.
Urban foraging (be it figs, or plums, or ramps) really connects you to your neighborhood. I’m not saying that I don’t get a few dirty looks every now and again. But I assure you, I never break the law. If I’m asked not to practice my hobby in a particular place by a particular homeowner, I will respect those wishes.
The kind of neighborhood connection I’m talking about is deeper. Most of the fig trees I visit in this neighborhood have been here far longer than I. Many have lived a life far longer than mine. These trees help me think about the changes in this part of Hollywood. From the Golden Age through the tough times. Hollywood has seen it all. I walk these streets and think about those who built these beautiful homes and planted these prolific trees. What were their expectations?
It’s no secret that Los Angeles had a large influx of second generation Italian-Americans who settled here from the east coast after World War Two. Perhaps they were fulfilling a dream. Surely they must have grown up hearing stories about the Mediterranean climate of the Italian countryside where their parents were born. They must have felt home here in some way. Planting a fig tree has that kind of cultural significance to me. There are certain plants that are iconic to Italian immigrants, and the fig is one of them.
Fig Sandwich
So if you make this fig sandwich (whether with foraged figs or precious store-bought specimens) I hope you’ll savor every honey sweet bite and appreciate what the humble fig represents. GREG
Ingredients
- 2 ounce blue cheese
- 1 ounce cream cheese
- 4 ounce radicchio
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- 4 slice whole grain bread
- 4 teaspoon melted butter
- 2 figs (quartered lengthwise)
Directions
In a small bowl mash blue cheese and cream cheese together; set aside.
Slice the radicchio crosswise into thin ribbons; set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the radicchio ribbons and a pinch each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until well wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and scrape the radicchio into a small bowl; set aside.
Carefully wipe the skillet dry with paper towels, return the skillet to the heat and lower the temperature to medium-low.
Brush one side of the bread slices with melted butter, taking care to go all the way to edges of the bread. Set them, butter side down, on a clean work surface. Spread 2 slices with cheese mixture, then top the cheese with fig slices and radicchio. Place the tops onto the sandwiches and carefully transfer them to the heated skillet.
Cook sandwiches 3 or 4 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Flip, and cook 2 or 3 minutes more, or until second side is browned. Serve warm.
All the tastes I love together – sandwich perfection. ~Bijouxs
Urban foraging.…I love the sound of that, and the look of this great sandwich!
Now that’s a perfect sandwich. Nothing else to say!
OMG — so hungry for this now.Love the sautéed radicchio. And the concept of urban foraging? Brilliant, as ever.
I have never considered pairing radicchio and fig, but am suddenly struck by how perfectly they would balance each other. Especially when you add the blue cheese and pepper. For such a beautifully simple sandwich, there’s quite a lot going on here.
Greg, I do know how wonderful it is to eat a fig right from the tree! My mother-in-law’s next door neighbor had a fig tree and I used to just love picking figs from the branch that draped over the fence. Ripe and sun-warmed, can’t beat it! Where I live now our town has planted a long row of fruit trees along a downtown street just for the purpose of providing fruit to whoever wants to forage it. Your fig sandwich looks absolutely top-notch between the blue cheese, the radicchio, and the figs, mmmm!
Yes, yes, yes! I love the sound of urban foraging. We live a few streets from a park and when I walk up there with the kids I pass an avocado tree, it’s within reaching distance but every year I shy away expecting some crazy alarm to go off at me 🙁 Next time…or I’ll send in one of the kids!
Love this recipe. Need fig tree.
My friend has a fig tree and every summer I pick, grill, jam and eat off the tree. Now I found a new way to prepare them. This will be a most enjoyable treat.
I in awe of what you can find in your neighborhood! I see the occasional lemon tree near me, but nothing so exotic as figs. Then again, I’m probably not looking in the right places…
Oh my gosh Greg that looks divine. We aren’t warm enough for fresh local figs here so I may have to settle for some from BC.
oh yeah!
Oh man, local figs are one of the best things about living in California! The main tree I used to forage from got cut down, so I need to find a new one, but after that? This sandwich is definitely going to have to happen.
Needless to say, I love this post. I haven’t spent all that much time in southern CA, but the few times I visited I was indeed reminded of Italy. You are truly fortunate to live in that climate (drought notwithstanding). Here in Virginia, I planted a fig tree a number of years ago, from a seeding that a friend had given me. It does make me feel more connected to italy, even though the figs aren’t as big or sweet (they’re brown turkey figs). This spring I thought the tree had died after our hard winter; branches were bare and there were no signs of life. Finally, in late spring I saw a few tiny green leaves. I cut the tree almost down to the ground and it’s come back beautifully. The branches are full of little figs which, with any luck, will be ripe within the next month or so. That’s when I’ll make your delicious fig sandwich. Cheers, D