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Originally from Syria, it is one of the oldest known plants. Ritual copulation followed the arrival of the new fig crop in Ancient Greece and it is said to have been Cleopatra's favorite fruit.

For the Ancient Greeks the fig was one of the sacred foods associated with fertility and love. In some Southern European countries wedding guests throw figs (instead of rice) at the newly

weds, as a sign of fertility. Although there’s evidence that the fig may be the “forbidden fruit” referenced in the Bible, the fig’s aphrodisiac qualities more likely stem from its resemblance to female sex organs.

Figs are a US summer crop, usually enjoyed fresh from July through September, but because they can be dried and stored, they’re eaten year-round. One of the best times for propagating and planting figs is mid winter, when they are deciduous. Figs enjoy a Mediterranean climate that has a long hot dry summer.

To get the best tasting figs, they must be picked ripe from the trees. Once figs are picked, a lot of people start thinking about storing some to enjoy in the following months. If planning to can  figs, in a boiling water bath, add citric acid or  lemon juice to make sure that they are getting that acid level higher so the figs will be safe. Those that want to store figs in a freezer should clean them, then place the figs on a tray, before putting the fruit in the freezer. Once the figs are frozen, store them together in bags in the freezer. This prevents the figs from sticking together, then later the frozen figs can easily be defrosted.

Here are some ways to incorporate figs into every course of Valentine's Day celebrations. Wherever possible be sure to use organic ingredients.

Foods like prosciutto, jam,  teamed with french goat cheese, preserve over Brie cheese, salads, a delicious coulis. Figs baked, fried or served fresh...

One popular appetizer treatment is to stuff figs with a bit of blue, goat, or Boursin cheese. Make a slit in the side of each fig. Stuff a bit of your favorite cheese into the fig. Brush figs with coconut or palm oil and grill, turning once, until figs are hot and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Stuff with a dab of pungent cheese or foie gras, wrap in prosciutto, and broil for a few minutes. Or wrap (stuffed with cheese or not), skewer, brush with balsamic vinegar, and grill.

Wrap each fig with a piece of organic bacon. Place figs on a baking sheets and broil, turning as needed, until bacon is crisped and browned. Serve hot.

Finely chop figs and toss with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and celtic salt to taste. Let figs sit while you cut best-quality baguette slices and toast them. Serve toasts topped with the fig mixture. Spread fresh goat cheese on the toasts first, if desired. Serve with green salad garnish.

Add figs to a pizza with caramelized onions and good fontina after it’s cooked.

Figs added to a Simple Sensational Fruit / Green Salad. An organic balsamic dressing is nice teamed with a fig salad. Remember that the shorter the journey from the earth to the table, the better the food will be.

For main dishes, figs are a great match with chicken, duck, turkey or pork. Make a coulis in a blender or food processor, whirl figs with a splash of balsamic and enough olive oil to make the puree pourable. Add celtic salt  to taste. Heat gently and serve with organic meat of choice.

Lay halved figs on a baking sheet. Broil until bubbling and starting to brown. Serve with sweet or savory dishes.

Any fresh figs that start to go bad before you can eat them make a great meat tenderizer.

Baked Dessert Figs Fresh figs are baked in a combination of honey and whisky until tender, then the poaching liquid is reduced with organic cream until it forms a creamy caramel. Simplicity itself, but richly rewarding!

For a super-simple dessert, drizzle figs with honey before broiling and serve with marscapone, creme fraiche, yogurt or ice cream. Halve figs lengthwise and serve with small dollops of marscapone, creme fraiche, or yogurt on top. A chiffonade of mint or bit of lemon zest is a nice touch.

Organic Pecan Fig Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

2 lb ripe figs
1/4 cup lavender honey, to glaze tart
ready-made shortcrust
1 cup ground pecans
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs

Line a 9-1/2 inch, loose bottomed tart pan with the pastry, pressing well into the sides. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, and fill with dried beans or weights. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Lightly beat the eggs and add the pecans and honey. Pour pecan mixture into the pie shell. Cut the figs in half, top to bottom. Place in circles, cut side up, in the pie shell, packing them in quite closely and pushing slightly into the pecan mixture. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes at 375°F until pecan mixture sets.

Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Half pint organic cream + 4 egg yolks, 2 vanilla beans

Put cream and eggs in a double saucepan over hot water and stir (keep the pan on a low heat, but don't let the mixture boil).

Halve the vanilla beans lengthwise with a knife. With your finger or knife, scrape the vanilla beans into the saucepan and add vanilla pod to the mixture. Stir and bring mixture to a simmer and steep for 30 minutes. Strain mixture, reserve liquid and discard solids.

When it thickens take off the heat and keep stirring for a few minutes. Beat in 3 oz of organic icing sugar and freeze.

DIY Ice Cream

Fresh Fig Dessert

1 large or 2 small fresh figs per person. Cut fig from the top like segmenting an orange but don’t cut through to the base.Open out to look like a flower blossoming. Sit figs on individual serving plates.Spoon some natural yogurt in the centre of each fig. Drizzle honey around the edge of the plate. If desired scatter chopped fresh organic nuts on top of the honey.

Ricotta cheese and honey are traditional accompaniments to fresh fruit in Italy, and figs make a perfect partner.

1-1/2 cups fresh ricotta, preferably handmade from whole organic milk

1/4 cup honey, or to taste

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Freshly grated nutmeg

8 large fresh figs, quartered

Balsamic glaze, as optional garnish

2 cups organic balsamic vinegar

Place the balsamic vinegar in a non-reactive pan over medium heat. Once the vinegar begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook until the vinegar turns syrupy, 30 to 45 minutes. You should have about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of glaze. Do not allow the vinegar to boil or it will taste scorched. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the glaze to a squeeze bottle with a narrow tip. The glaze can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator indefinitely.

Divide the ricotta among 4 plates, making a neat mound on each. Drizzle the cheese with some of the honey and sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Grate a little bit of fresh nutmeg over each serving so that it lightly dusts the plates. Arrange the figs around the cheese. Squeeze a few dollops of balsamic glaze around the plate and serve.

Valentine Fig Treats

115g dried figs

60 g organic shredded coconut

70g ground hazelnuts

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (use zester)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

finely shredded coconut

Soak the figs, slip off the stems with scissors and process / chop finely

Combine all ingredients except finely shredded coconut amd work into a paste

Add more lemon juice if necessary

Shape into balls or logs and roll in coconut

20 dried figs

70g seedless raisins

140g pecans

100g tahini

crushed nuts / coconut (optional)

Process figs, rasins and pecans

Work in the tahini 'til the mixture is soft and pliable

Form into the size of small walnuts

Roll in coconut / crushed nuts if desired

Chocolate Figs

Melt organic dark chocolate in a bowl over just-simmering water, skewer your fig, and dip into the melted chocolate. Lay on greaseproof paper to set.

Write letters in organic frosting, or cut out the shapes in edible rice paper, and feed your Valentine one chocolate fig at a time - it’s up to you to decide the message you want to spell out!

Chocolate the Aphrodisiac

As with all languages, the peoples of pre-Columbian Central America often spoke in metaphors composed of words or phrases which, when uttered in sequence, had a hidden meaning. One of these metaphors was yollotl, eztli, "heart, blood," which referred to cacao. Chocolate truly is food for the heart - it is the heart's "blood," due to its magnesium, antioxidants, love chemicals and esoteric properties. Chocolate, as we know it, is known for its sensual love vibration. Chocolate is the symbol of sensuality, pleasure, and sexuality. Some writers have claimed that 50% of women prefer chocolate to sex!

We have often heard that "chocolate opens the heart" - which is actually true. Chocolate is the gift to all lovers. Chocolates are always given as love offerings.

Enjoy a Valentine’s Day fig feast.