Episode 83: California Figs with Special Guest, Linda Cain from Valley Fig Growers

On this week's episode, we chat with Linda Cain of Valley Fig Growers to chat all about figs and specifically California figs, including what types of figs there are, the history of figs in the old country and America, and how they are cultivated. It's so fascinating! Linda also gives us ideas on how to use figs in our meals. By the way, our listeners get 25% off at www.valleyfig.com with the code "H2" until March 27, 2018. Get on it!

Let's taco 'bout it!

Disclosure: Some of the links within these show notes are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, we will earn a commission, which helps support our show. This commission comes at no additional cost to you, our wonderful listener!

Let's taco 'bout it!

• We're glad Sharon is here again, but she is still recovering the pneumonia! Sharon had a lot of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Homestyle Soup that has gotten her through the last couple of weeks. Soup is good as we talked about it in an earlier episode. Sharon also created an oregano tea and chilled to the Great British Bake Off as she recovered.
• Winter usually throws a Chinese New Year party, but it didn't happen this year. We did hot pot late with a small group of friends, so Winter can justify keeping the hot pot in our kitchen arsenal.
• We're excited to welcome Linda Cain of Valley Fig Growers to chat about figs. By the way, our listeners get 25% off at www.valleyfig.com with the code "H2" until March 27, 2018. Get on it!
• Figs can be found on every continent, except for Antarctica, because once they establish themselves, they are hard to eradicate and will survive.

• Nature magazine came out with an article about figs and you can read it here.
• Figs dry nicely and traveled from the Middle East to Italy and Spain. The Spanish mission fathers that came to America planted fig trees along the coast of California so there was a food source as they traveled to minister, hence the black or Mission Figs? Did you know figs are ever-producing?
• Golden Figs: Calimyrna (California + Myrna, Turkey), Tena (Hebrew word for fig = tena), Conadria, and Sierra.
• George Roeding was known to dynamite the hard ground in Central California in order to plant the fig trees.
• Roeding went to Turkey to figure out why the Calimyrna wasn't fruiting. He found out that pollination is needed to happen with a fig wasp from a Caprifig tree. Those wasps are very tiny! The Calimyrna "eye" is much larger, so the fig wasps can go into the "eye".
• By the way, the fig is an inverted flower.
• Fresh figs are fragile and only have about 6-7 days to transport under refrigerated conditions to end location. The Brown Turkey Fig is one of the more popular type of fresh fig. Kadotas, Mission, and Sierra figs can also be eaten fresh.

• Linda mentions a few delicious recipes that you should try: California Fig and Goat Cheese Squares, Chocolate Ganache Tart with Glazed California Figs and Nuts, and Chocolate Dipped Figs. You can go here for many, many more yummy recipes.
• University of California, Davis has a breeding program to develop different fig varieties. The book Fig Heaven by Marie Simmons mentions that there are over 1000 varieties of figs in America alone.
• The first crop from old wood goes to fresh crop, while the second crop can be both fresh and dried crop. Figs are the only fruit that are dried on the tree, and once they have reached their full sugar potential, they will fall to the ground.
• The fig is nutrient dense product with manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber! Power food!
• Figs were named the Flavor of the Year of 2017 by Firmenich, and so you will see the fig featured in a lot of food.

• Figs are great as a salad topping, in oatmeal in the morning, with chicken, pork, salmon, and of course, snacking. There's even a Chinese recipe of Fig and Pork Soup to help you feel better!
• Watch out for an upcoming contest on Instagram Pinterest with Valley Fig for Mother's Day, where the winner will win a trip to America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country.
• Once again, our listeners get 25% off at www.valleyfig.com with the code "H2" until March 27, 2018. Get some figs!
• If you have a Food Fight question, send us an email at hungrysquared@gmail.com. 

Run Time: 58 minutes

Sponsors: Our podcast is brought to you by our awesome and food-loving sponsor, IKEA in Draper, Utah!

IKEA Annual Swedish Easter Paskbord

Friday, March 9, 2018

Seatings at 4 pm and 6:30 pm*

*Check your local store for tickets.

Join participating IKEA stores nationwide for an all-you-can eat buffet of classic Swedish food offerings, including Swedish meatballs, marinated salmon, assorted Swedish cheeses and many other savory favorites. Tickets are available for only $16.99 per person / $4.99 for kids 12 and under, or at a discounted rate for IKEA FAMILY members ($12.99 per person / $2.99 for kids 12 and under).

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