Homemade Fig Jam

There’s something magical about fruit trees. In our experience, which admittedly is very little, they don’t require much work and reap many benefits. Our fig tree produced a great harvest, more than either of us expected between early August and mid-October. In case you missed our other recipes, we had a lot of fun creating Chicken and Fig Tagine, Cider-Braised Boneless Short Ribs with Figs, Arugula and Fresh Fig Salad, and Fig Coconut Yogurt.

Today, even though we’re away on vacation, we bring you another fig recipe: homemade fig jam. It is great on rice crackers; you might also enjoy it with a soft cheese like brie (if you can tolerate high-quality dairy) or Kite Hill almond-based Cream Cheese Style Spread. Brent’s mom used it with almond butter on sprouted bread (a new twist on PB&J!) and plans to use it instead of store-bought fruit spread in her Linzer cookies for Christmas. Whether you have your own fig tree or find them at the store, we hope you’ll enjoy making and eating this fig jam or any of our other fig recipes. Let us know what you decide to do—we would love to hear from you!

Bacon, Kale & Onion Sauté

When I was a kid, breakfast foods were for breakfast and everything else was for lunch or dinner. As I’ve grown up, I’ve slowly come to find that all foods taste good all the time. I love “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) and dinner foods for breakfast.

This is one dish that can be served any time of day, on its own or as a side dish. I love this recipe for its simplicity and its ability to use in a variety of situations. It’s so fast and easy to make—it’s perfect for a quick meal any time of day. I’ve eaten it alone for dinner and with eggs (scrambled, fried over hard, and even poached) for breakfast. You might also want to serve it as a side with a roast chicken or pork tenderloin or even steak. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Cider-Braised Boneless Short Ribs With Figs

If you’re like us, you often put extra meat into the freezer and then promptly forget. We try to be good about this, but when we received a great selection of meats from Butcher Box, we could only use so much at once! One of the remaining cuts we had were these boneless short ribs. Boneless short ribs are not a regular buy for us, but we are now loyal converts. See for yourself how you can get high quality, sustainable beef, chicken, and pork on a regular basis without buying a full side of beef with Butcher Box.

We decided to braise these short ribs with raw apple cider vinegar, onions, and fresh figs. Our tree won’t stop producing these figs, so we keep using them. If figs aren’t your cup of tea, or are not in season, feel free to substitute figs for an equal amount of peaches, apricots, or plums. These tender, delicious short ribs will allow you to eat like royalty for the entire week, and smell fantastic while cooking. We know you’ll enjoy.

Arugula and Fresh Fig Salad

Did you know that figs are a flower, not a fruit? It’s actually the “infructescence” or “false-fruit” in which the flower and seeds are born. Fruit or not, I think figs are delicious! If you pick them a little green, they are plump, firm and almost savory or tart. Pick them once they’ve ripened to a deep purple, they are soft, luscious and incredibly sweet.

This salad plays the sweetness of the figs against the peppery arugula and subtly sharp red onion. The walnuts add a nice earthy flavor and crunch. The creamy, slightly cream-cheesy dressing rounds out the whole thing. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Pork Spring (Un)Rolls Sauté

Spring rolls are a guilty pleasure that I could eat for days; thankfully, they only send a limited quantity when we occasionally order in. If this describes you, too, I recommend Russ Crandall’s Paleo Takeout to satisfy all your cravings. You can check out our review here.

We were inspired to add to the flavorful offerings, and this recipe was a result of our brainstorming. Pairing meat and cabbage is a great way to put together a one-pot meal (this one, too), and we think you’ll agree that this belongs in a regular rotation.