Local stores recently featured fresh figs from California, and I turned some into my favorite jam. Too bad they come to market so seldom.

The fig is a spreading tree with silvery bark and a twisting trunk which usually grows to about 12 feet in height and width. It can be found around the coastal perimeter of our country, and came originally from the Mediterranean, Africa and Southwest Asia. The trees were revered by ancient people as sacred, and were also a symbol of peace and prosperity.

There are hundreds of varieties of figs in the world. Florida figs include capri, black mission, green, kadota, smyrna or calmyrna, San Pedro and others. Our season is from early summer to fall. If you’re lucky enough to own a fig tree or know the owner of one, you may get a taste of this delicious fruit fresh from the branches.

Their proper botanical name is ficus carica, and the trees are related to those with enormous, towering canopies which we often see in Southwest Florida. The banyan and household rubber plant are also cousins. Fig leaves, famed in myth and statuary, are unlike ficus leaves. The fruit is really a cluster of outside-in blossoms, and each tiny seed inside will make a new tree.

Desert dwellers long ago discovered that figs can be sun-dried and kept almost indefinitely, a plus for nomadic people. Since the fresh fruit is highly perishable, dried figs became popular around the entire Mediterranean basin. Spanish Franciscan missionaries brought them to the New World via Mexico and California, where they are still grown in profusion.

Figs are versatile. Serve them unpeeled and quartered on a bed of bitter greens with creamy dressing. Wrap them in prosciutto and spear with a pick as an appetizer. Serve with Gorgonzola cheese for dessert, or with sour cream and brown sugar for breakfast.

No fresh figs? Soak dried ones in hot water and use them instead. The following recipe goes well with game, ham or lamb, and doubles as a dessert when topped with whipped and sweetened cream cheese.

Spiced figs

6 pounds figs

1 cup water

1 cup white vinegar

4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

8 whole cloves

4 bay leaves, snapped in half

8 slices fresh ginger root

Trim stems from cleaned figs and place in large pot with. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Pack into eight sterilized pint jars, distributing cloves, bay leaves and ginger evenly among jars. Seal and process in water bath for 15 minutes, or store under refrigeration.

Louisiana fig cake

Here’s an unusual cake from the bayou country. It’s light, in spite of the heaviness of the batter.

3 cups sifted self-rising flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

2 cups salad oil

1 cup broken pecans

1 jar fig preserves (8-9 ounces)

Cinnamon and nutmeg

Powdered sugar

Mix dry ingredients and stir in eggs and salad oil; batter will be thick. Add pecans and fig preserves. Season with cinnamon and nutmeg to taste and spoon batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool and turn out onto serving platter; dust with powdered sugar.

Poached figs

As mentioned above, dried figs may often be used in place of fresh ones in recipes, and here’s one to try.

8 ounces dried Calmyrna figs

1 cup wine (see below)

1 cup apple or white grape juice

Honey to taste

Flavoring (see below)

Sour cream

Grated orange zest

Remove stems from figs and cut in half from top to bottom, then into lengthwise strips. In a saucepan, heat sweet white wine or Port with juice until boiling. Add figs, lower heat and simmer for about five minutes. Figs will be very soft.

Remove from heat, add honey to taste and stir in flavoring (vanilla, lemon or orange extract). Chill and serve with sour cream as topping and grated orange zest as garnish.

Baked figs

Here’s a dish from the Culinary Institute of America which is wonderful for breakfast, brunch or any time. It’s easy with the use of purchased phyllo dough.

1/4 cup almond paste

8 stemmed figs

8 sheets phyllo

Melted butter

Sour cream

Honey

Divide almond paste into eight equal portions and form into little balls. Press the balls into the ends of eight stemmed figs, after cutting an X into stem end. Use a phyllo sheet for each fig, cutting the sheet into quarters. Brush dough with melted butter and stack the four pieces, rotating them so corners are staggered.

Place a fig in center of phyllo stacks and bring edges up to the top, pressing together neatly. Lightly butter a baking pan and place tarts on it, not touching. Brush them with melted butter and bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. The dough should be golden-brown and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature with sour cream and honey.

Figs a la mode

This dish came from the famous Ernie’s in San Francisco many years ago. Serve fresh red or white figs with vanilla ice cream and Port sauce. Do not use dried figs here.

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

Dash of lemon juice

1/4 cup port wine

Combine cornstarch and salt in a small pan. Add a half cup honey and stir until well mixed. Add water and stir again. Cook until mixture comes to a boil, then lower heat and cook until sauce is thick and clear.

Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and Port wine. Thin with hot water if necessary. Sauce should be served warm.

Sheik’s tray

In older times, residents of the Middle East would show hospitality simply by serving tea along with figs, dates, nuts and other sweets on a brass tray.

Yogurt and honey were offered for dipping if desired. It’s still a nice idea, especially for informal parties.