As I write this, Jacob is upstairs cleaning his room, possibly for the last time. Tomorrow he leaves for Penn State, for NROTC training and the beginning of his next great academic adventure. I am proud and sad and excited for him, and I wanted his last home cooked meal for a while to be memorable.
As if in anticipation of my mindset, fresh figs unexpectedly showed up at our door last night. Actually our neighbor showed up at our door bearing a bag of figs from her fig tree. Of course, this led to a scouring of recipes that would do justice to a gift of fresh figs. And a search for fun fig facts. Here are a few:
Eating figs can help you quit smoking due to their high alkalinity.
Many believe that it was actually figs, not apples in the Garden of Eden.
Figs are higher in fiber than any common fruit or vegetable and are also extremely high in calcium.
Figs were the training food by the early Olympic athletes and a token of honor.
Seems fair that Jacob be seen off with honor and a meal fit for an Olympian. We have every reason to believe he will go on to do great things.
The search for fig oriented recipes ended with this one, from Epicurious.com:
Click here for recipe
The sweet figs, goat cheese, rosemary, honey and pork blend really nicely. Make sure to season the pork well before grilling - you want to get a nice crust on the outside of the meat. And while the goat cheese seems slightly odd, don't be stingy - it adds a velvety richness that absolutely complements the unadorned pork.
And so, Jacob, we send you off with a belly full of sweetness and a soul full of goodness. You make us so proud.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Rockville, MD
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