Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
24th October 2020
Give a Fig
For the last few weeks I have been lucky enough to be able to pick my lunch from a client’s garden. And yes, they do know. Last week, I had a healthy bowl of autumn raspberries and blackberries, an apple, and a couple of delicious figs.
Far from being a warm and sunny spot, the garden is high in the hills where it is winter for 8 months of the year and bleak for the other four. But the figs grow opposite the big stone wall of a barn which I’m sure not only provides a lot of shelter from the cruellest of frosts and horizontal rain but also generates heat when it does get the sun. I assume the large wall would also retain heat and release it slowly, like a big storage heater.
Although we usually think of figs as an exotic crop, they are quite easy to grow and don’t like a lot of fuss. They are ideal for growing in containers and although they do prefer a sunny spot, which will help the fruit to ripen, it is not essential – as proven with my hard-as-nails fig tree.
The crop was quite poor this year in comparison to previous years (the wheelbarrow was last year’s crop) but nonetheless, it has added a bit of posh-nosh for lunch for the last few weeks.
There are still a lot of ‘green’ fruit that aren’t going to ripen before the ‘proper winter’ sets in, so I have been looking for a recipe that will utilise them. And lo and behold I have found one for ‘unripe fig jam’. It is a Turkish recipe and although called a ‘jam’, it is not really what we would consider jam-like, as it is much chunkier. Sometimes the figs are just halved or left whole, which makes a great snack, dessert or accompaniment for cheese.
Pick the unripe figs that are almost full size but still hard. (Don’t pick the very small ones, as they will be next years crop.) Soak them in cold water for half an hour to remove the milky sap and bitterness. Figs are buoyant, so you may need to weigh them down.
Cut the stems, and pierce the bottom of each fig. Place in a pot, cover them with water and boil for about 15 minutes. Drain and repeat the simmering process another two or three times with fresh water each time.
Now the figs should be soft. Add enough fresh water to cover the figs in the pot, and add the equal amount of sugar. Allow to boil for 15 minutes, then add a little bit of cloves. Allow the syrup to thicken, then add the juice of half lemon. Leave to cool before placing in a jar.
There are several other recipes for ‘unripe fig jam’ on the Internet, so do have a look at the alternatives, you may prefer them.
What Sap
The white fig sap, or latex, can be an irritant to some people so wear gloves if you need to. If you are okay with it, it is actually an excellent remedy for warts. Just pick an unripe fig or leaf and dab the white sap directly onto the wart a couple times a day for 2 – 3 days.
I couldn’t write about figs, without finding out where the phrase, “I don’t give a (flying) fig” originated. It appears to have come from the Spanish Fico (Fig) which gave its name to a traditional gesture of contempt made by placing the thumb between the first and second fingers. The gesture was common in Shakespeare’s time and was known as The Fig of Spain. The modern-day equivalent is the V sign and the word ‘fig’ is often replaced with another. Apparently.
Handy To Know
I also had lunch with an eminent hand surgeon last week. It sounds posh but actually I was working for him and he came out for a chat whilst I was eating my lunch. That particular day I had an avocado and had halved it deftly and removed the stone using my secateurs.
“Did you know they are responsible for most of the hand injuries that I have to repair?” He asked.
I held my secateurs up and said, “I’m not surprised, they are Japanese and really sharp.”
Shaking his head, he replied, “No, avocados. People cutting avocados – with knives, not even secateurs.”
I learn something new everyday.
And that reminded me of the time one of the boys on site watched me cut my avocado in half and take the stone out. Quick as a flash he said, “Oh how disappointing, you had that toy last week. I thought there would be something different inside this one”.
Aim High
Every now and then I am happily humbled by someone letting me know that I have encouraged, motivated or inspired them. So you can imagine how chuffed I was to hear from Sam Kennaby recently letting me know that an informal interview that I had with her a year or so ago, had made it into her new book “When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Giraffe.”
As a career adviser and coach, Sam has spent the last 15-20 years helping to raise the aspirations of anyone from 16-60 years old, helping them to overcome personal challenges and increase confidence.
She describes ‘When I Grow Up I Want To Be A Giraffe – the career guide for (not so) grownups’ as an alternative careers guide for those who want to do things differently, challenging the ‘norm’ and ignoring the ‘shoulds’. It is a book for all ages and stages, changing perceptions about what is ‘the right’ path to follow.
Sam has used case studies of people who have successfully done things differently, (which is why I am luckily enough to be involved) and also includes her own experiences as someone who wanted to do things differently to her peers.
Despite collecting ideas for the book seven years ago, it finally came to life earlier this year after the photography aspect was completed with inspiring children. Sam is keen to pay tribute to the ‘tonne of support from her amazingly creative husband, a talented local illustrator, Lily Knibbs, and a successful Kickstarter campaign, which was 130% funded and raised over half of its funding in 24 hours.’
As a result of the campaign the book is already set to be distributed to 8 different countries and will be stocked in various educational establishments in the UK.
I am a great believer in timing and I think Sam’s book has been published at just the right time, when so many people are having to rethink their careers, jobs and possibly retrain. Maybe they won’t aspire to be a giraffe but there is still lots of inspiration, courage and reassurance to be gleaned from the fabulous book.
From 2nd November the book can be bought in various independent bookstores, as well as pre-ordered through Amazon and via Sam’s website directly at www.holsamlifecoaching.com/giraffe-dreams.html.
Don’t forget to put your clocks back tonight (24th). They ‘spring’ forward an hour in the spring and ‘fall’ back an hour in the autumn.
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