Our Current Issue:

September 2008

Dear Dedicated Foodie,

I hope you all enjoyed a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend! Summer is officially drawing to a close, and in the months ahead, we have plenty of wonderful fruits and vegetables coming into season to look forward to.

With kids going back to school and work becoming increasingly more hectic, it's important to make time for healthy and nutritious meals - that's what will keep you going during your busy moments.

Take advantage of what the fall harvest and farmers markets have to offer; even if you only have time for quick meals, fresh ingredients will make all the difference in the world.

Stay tuned as we at MyGourmetConnection continue to provide an assortment of quick, easy and healthy recipes!

September's Featured Fruit: Figs

Besides being deliciously decadent, figs are quite unique in the realm of fruits. Figs are the only fruit to fully ripen and semi-dry while still on the tree before falling to the ground.

Once on the ground, they finish drying and are harvested in late summer and early fall.

The fig is also actually a flower that has inverted into itself, and technically, the seeds inside (called drupes) are the actual fruit.

Figs are higher in fiber than any other average fruit or vegetable, providing both soluble and insoluble fiber (20 percent of the Daily Value in a serving). They also contain a proteolytic enzyme that aids digestion.

Dried figs are available year-round in markets, but fresh figs are only present a few months during the year (August through October).

If you're picking up some fresh figs, look for those that are soft to the touch and make every effort to use them as quickly as possible. They won't last in the refrigerator for any longer than three days.

Dried figs, however, are like raisins and can be stored in unopened packages for about six months.

Keep in mind that their sugar content and sweet fragrance make them especially tempting to insects, so they should be stored in any air-tight container with a tight-fitting lid.

If you refrigerate your dried figs, you may notice a white substance that forms on the surface. This is the natural crystallization of the fruit's sugars.

This process happens more rapidly when figs are chilled, thus freezing them is not recommended.

You can dissolve the "sugaring" by briefly steaming or rinsing them under hot water.

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