Recently I have been seeing a lot of nuts/dried fruits imported from Turkey sold in Trader Joe’s; started with the dried apricots, later we were also buying the hazelnuts and pistachios grown in Turkey. Call me a nationalist, but whenever I see something made/grown in Turkey, I tend to favor those over the others, even the local grown ones. This time, it was the dried organic Smyrna figs. Sure enough a box went into my basket even though I had a box of dried Calimyrna figs at home. Similarities in the names of these figs have been in my mind, something to research on but I kept forgetting. I know Smyrna is the name of an ancient city where today’s Izmir (3rd largest city in Turkey) is located but where did Calimyrna come from?

Thanks to internet, this is what I found out: Figs are brought to America by the Spanish missionaries in 1575 and later, when they started growing those trees in San Diego, the name “mission figs” stuck with them. Later, they wanted to grow the best fig variety known in California. Those are the figs known as “sari lop” or “sari incir” (yellow fig) native to western Anatolia (Asia Minor.) They had a hard time pollinating them until a botanist realized the trick; they started to produce them in California naming this one as California + Smyrna = Calimyrna. Not sure what the complication that kept them from producing earlier, but the fig trees have gender. So, you need to have a male and a female fig tree for production. Kiwis are like that as well, but they are vines, not trees.

Now that I had those wonderful dried figs, I set out to make the easiest fig dessert ever. It is basically an instant jam; make a simple syrup, cook the figs in it. Never had it with mission black figs, not sure how they’d turn out but I assure you they did a good job with those Calimyrna figs; the taste is similar to the original.

• 2kg (about 4 lbs) dried Smryna figs
• 750 gr sugar
• 750 ml water

Cut the figs into small pieces (at least 6 – 8 pieces each.) In a heavy bottom stainless steel pot, heat mix water and sugar. When the simple syrup starts to boil, run the figs through cold water and immediately add them to the pot. Turn the heat down, cook the figs constantly stirring and also mashing them using wooden spoon. When all the water evaporated, transfer into a plastic container (not sure why, but my aunt always used plastic for this dessert. Might be because it is easier to spoon out of it.) Keep in the fridge.

This can be used as a filling in cookies (especially in the mamool cookies), spread on a toast or just as is.

Last summer I have sun dried some of the excess tomato and eggplant growing in our backyard.  Kept the tomatoes in jars and hung the dried eggplant in a loose sack made out of cheese cloth.  Finally last week I had a chance to make a dish out of them, this time also using the green garlic that was pulled out of the garden.  Using the pomegranate concentrate (or molasses, however you want to address that lovely syrup) in this dish is a must, if you ask me.  Definitely brings out the taste of the eggplant and adds another dimension, which is always welcome to my palate. Sourness.

I was so careful to measure everything I put in this dish and guess what?  I lost the paper I have written. Grrr!!!

I will try to give some estimates as much as I remember.  Maybe one day that paper will come out and I can update this writing, but until then:

• 100 – 120 gr dried eggplant chunks
• 80 gr dried tomato slices
• 70 gr green spring garlic
• 1 Tbs dried crushed chilies
• 1 medium onion
• 4 – 5 Tbs olive oil
• 4 Tbs pomegranate concentrate

Put the eggplants and tomatoes in different bowls, big enough to hold them when they expand with water. Boil about 4 cups of water, pour over those bowls.  Let them sit until they are soft, about 20 mins or so

Drain the eggplants, take the tomatoes out of the water reserving the red water to add to stew.  Slice the tomatoes even smaller.
Cut the onion finely, saute in olive oil. Add the garlic pieces (cut about 1 cm) saute for couple minutes.  Add the drained eggplants and tomato slices, add 4 – 5 Tbs reserved tomatoe juice along with the pom concentrate. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and let cook for 5 – 7 minutes.

Enjoy warm or cold.  Make sure to have a bowl of yogurt with it; they do go well together.