Give a fig

The second and main local fig crop has them dripping from the trees finally, due to the oddly cool summer. I hear tell of a fig sandwich at the new Fat Face (1815 19th Street), containing a swooningly delicious mix of beer-poached figs, caramelized onions, arugula and goat cheese. You won’t even miss the meat in this veggie meal.

Magpie Caterers and Cafe (1409 R Street) has had the most delicious semi-dried figs on its cheese plate for lo these few years. They’re not leathery, as some dried fruit gets, but soft and then crunchy from the plethora of seeds. They’re great with an aged cheese or blue.

The figgy Cal Italia pizza at Pizza Rock (1020 K Street) was a gold-medal winner at the Food Network’s Pizza Champions Challenge. It’s a cheese plate on a crust with gorgonzola, asiago, prosciutto, fig preserves and parmesan.

If you want to try your own figgy flavors, buy a large batch from Maywood Farms, organic growers in Corning. Look for its beautiful fruits at Whole Foods Market and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.