My love for figs started with Fig Newtons. As a child I would eat them by the dozen. When I got a job as a "counter girl" at Barbara Ann's Bakery my tastes became slightly more sophisticated. At the bakery, when no one was looking, I would snack on giant fig bars, filled with sweet fig jam, engulfed by a thin, flaky crust. I still love figs. I'm eagerly waiting for them to show up at the Farmer's Market. It seems we are all waiting for figs to arrive. (Sounds like the start of a novel, doesn't it?).
I haven't yet seen any fresh figs, but today at the 14th and U Street Farmer's Market, I spied this White Fig and Balsamic Vinegar Jam from The Copper Pot Food Company. It's perfect jam: light, spreadable, figgy, and the vinegar adds a bright flavor you may not find in most jams. At $6.50 a jar, it's worth every penny; a special treat to tide me over until figs arrive in the market.
