I was at the art gallery the other day looking at Caravaggio's early seventeenth century "Still Life with Fruit On A Stone Ledge" when I overheard a woman declare "Fruit hasn't changed much in the past 400 years". Yes, I thought, gazing at the lavish display of dramatically lit fruits which includes grapes, plums, peaches, pomegranates, gourds, melons and figs. All still easily recognisable today though it's hard to believe some of the religious and erotic symbolism attributed to them over the centuries by art historians and novelists.

My eye was drawn to the eight purple figs set on fig leaves, two of which had been torn, revealing their luscious pink insides. Apparently Caravaggio, master painter of darkness and light, was attracted to figs (you'll find different varieties of them in five of his paintings). And I can understand why. For who can resist a warm plump fig plucked straight from the tree?

It was in Puglia in southern Italy that I first fell in love with fresh figs. There, I was instructed how to eat a fig skin and all (stem off), a revelation to me at that time because I had only ever tasted dried figs. But this, this was so soft and yielding with a little crunch from the seeds inside. Italians often serve fresh figs sliced or quartered (skin on) and draped with silky prosciutto as an antipasto. At "Lunch on The Pond" in the Adelaide Hills, Judith Quigley takes this further by stuffing them with King Island blue, then wrapping in prosciutto and baking them in thick cream. She also offers a simple platter of fresh figs with a selection of goat"s cheeses from Udder Delights as a finale.

Quigley's figs come from Willabrand, her son-in-law's fig orchard not far away in the foothills of the Adelaide Hills. Here, Willa Wauchope grows a variety of figs for the retail and restaurant trade, including three varieties of table figs not being grown commercially elsewhere - Archipal and Deanna which look like yellow pears and taste like honey, and the purple-skinned Spanish Dessert which taste like a bowl of summer berries.

It can be confusing to know which fig is which as there are hundreds of varieties and their names change from place to place. There are large figs, small figs, round figs and ovoid figs, black, brown, red, green, purple, yellow and white. One of the most famous is the Smyrna fig from Western Turkey, home of the domesticated fig. In Australia, the black Genoa, white Genoa, brown Turkey and Smyrna are the most common varieties, though who ever sees them sold by varietal name?

A member of the mulberry family, the fig is one of the most ancient plants, popular everywhere in the Middle East (where it seems to have originated) since at least 3000BC. Figs grew in the Garden of Eden and in the hanging gardens of Bablyon and were dried for preservation by burying in hot sands. I must confess I'd prefer a fresh one any day especially now that I know their sweetness lies close to the skin.

For a simple yet impressive dessert or snack: for 2 people, toast 2 slices of walnut bread or "ciabatta" on one side. In a small bowl, combine some fresh ricotta with honey to taste. Spread this mixture over the untoasted side and top with generous slices or quarters of fresh fig. Sprinkle with sugar, using more sugar if you prefer a caramelised flavour. Lower grill heat to moderate and cook until the sugar caramelises and the bread is toasted around the edges.

 

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