Fig & Flowering Rosemary

Autumn’s first light brings a bounty of seasonal fruit — fig, pear, pomegranate, persimmon — best eaten sun-warmed, at the height of their ripeness.

Franciscan missionaries first planted black mission figs in San Diego in the eighteenth century, and continued at subsequent missions established along California’s coast. In season twice annually, the yield of breba harvest in early summer is small; the new wood harvest of autumn is robust. The breba crop is lighter, more acidic, and less sweet than the main — figs harvested in October benefit from substantial exposure to heat and the resulting development of sugar content.

They are fleshy figs with a spiciness that is best complemented by bitter herb or the sweetness of honey.

Here are two ways I enjoy their bounty:

Cheese pairing

To your favorite seeded cracker, top:

• California black mission fig, halved and honeyed

• A wedge of triple-crème brie

• Flowering rosemary and zested lemon, to garnish

fruit pairing

To your favorite seeded cracker, top:

• California black mission fig, halved and honeyed

• Slivered red Bartlett pear (an aromatic, spicy and crisp cultivar with freckled skin)

• Flowering rosemary and Fleur de Sel, to garnish

Best with a lighter-bodied, fruit-forward red wine, served chilled.