Last year, for the first time in my life, I ate a fig. A friend brought an array of fruit to a dinner party and fresh figs were among the selection. I loved the flavor and especially the beauty of the purple skin and pink, seedy flesh. At the market this morning, I picked up a few for the weekend and wondered once again, how I could have only encountered them in my 20s. Perhaps it's not much of a surprise, since I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and figs grow abundantly in the Mediterranean regions. Still, in a time when food is quickly shipped around the world and the produce section of the grocery store is without seasons, it's nice to know that there are still new things to discover (image from suttonhoo).