Honey-soaked figs...

Get to know your neighbors, and what they grow. These figs, are from my neighbor. There are so many each year, that I dry them and have them for an entire year's use!

I have a wonderful street of neighbors. On this street alone there are pink grapefruits, lemons, the aforementioned figs, kumquats, pink peppercorns, and we have a tangerine tree. Come the seasons due, and we all share our harvests. It creates such a wonderful sense of community when you share in each others bounty. I find that others are always willing to share, since there is always more than they can use. We swap pink grapefruits for tangerines– I receive figs, then return jars of fig jam and bags of dried figs. Its a wonderful experience!
These fig treats are delicious. First, figs are so full of nutrition, so these sweet treats are very intentional. Second, honey is a delicious gift from nature, sweet like candy yet so nutritious in its own right. And if you use local honey (as you should--seek it out, its easier to find than you might think)...so if you use local, it is a great help keeping some seasonal allergies at bay.

Eat these in a variety of ways:

• Pop them one by one
• Eat with a piece of blue cheese, or sharp white cheddar
• Heat 5 or 6 in the microwave until soft and smear them on gluten free toast with cream cheese
• Eat them with Greek, or plain yogurt with cinnamon (drizzle the syrup over top)

Speaking of the syrup:

• Use it in tea (amazing), hot or iced
• Add it to seltzer water for a sweet fig soda-pop
• Drizzle over yogurt or over ice cream
• Drizzle over pancakes or waffles

You can see the theme is unlimited possibilities. By the way, use this honey method with any fruit; dried cherries, dried apricots, even raisins.
Here is how its done...

Honey Soaked Figs

• 2 cups dried figs, cut in half (store-bought is fine, or dry your own)
• 1 cup honey
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 cup hot tap water

Pack the figs into a jar big enough to hold them and the liquid. Stir together the lemon juice and honey into the hot water till dissolved. Pour over the figs. Let sit until cool enough to refrigerate. Let sit overnight in the fridge, then they will be ready to use!