At Anna's Table: As Soon as You Have Procured a Fresh, Ripe Fig, Pop it into Your Mouth Immediately and Savor the Honeyed Sweetness – This, for me, is the Definition of Simple Luxury

And just like that we are in the middle of October. It's always at this time of the year I marvel in wonder at the passing of time and how we got here so fast. After a joyously warm start to the season, it finally switched to the distinct cooling that comes with mid October. A road trip from my home in the North Fork to Pennsylvania showed the beginnings of ‘The Turn’ (as I call it): the countryside transformation from lush green to layers of sumptuous rusty browns, muted burgundies, and ochres in the landscape. Now we're looking to crops to harvest in October to bring that rich color and bounty of the season to the table.

Now on to the other things that make fall fabulous. And one of those is Figs. I just love them, in the way I love white nectarines in Summer, as many ways as possible. One of my best fig memories (yes, I have a list) was on a trip to visit a friend in Italy who is an olive oil producer (Colonna Olive Oil, one of the best). They had a row of fig trees in the middle of the olive orchard, and we stood under the trees and gorged ourselves on freshly picked figs. It was divine.

So imagine my delight a few weeks back when the doorbell rang and, instead of a delivery driver, I found an egg carton of freshly picked figs – plump, purple and green –waiting casually on the veranda floor. This was the most welcome of visitors, made all the more charming for the inventive packaging. The giver? My landscaper, Leo, a 70-year-old Russian immigrant who moved to the US without a scrap of English more than 30 years ago. (He looks 60 and swears the secret to his youthful countenance is a daily set of 100 pull-ups followed by a shot of vodka. I like to think the homegrown figs don’t hurt either.)

I proclaimed it one of the best gifts I’ve ever received, and Leo was so delighted that another batch arrived this week. He often brings me little offerings – sometimes bulbs, last week a bare-root persimmon tree, and once, a bucket of golf balls. I don’t play golf, but I smiled and thanked him all the same. These simple gestures never fail to delight me.

The first rule of harvesting figs is to ensure they are ripe – just soft to the touch, but not so far gone they split on sight. They’re at their best from August to October, ripened by the sun, but the early ones start in June if you’re lucky. The second rule? As soon as you have procured one, pop it into your mouth immediately and savor the honeyed sweetness. This, for me, is the definition of simple luxury.

But, since there has been a glut this season, I’m looking at more ways to prepare them besides just sneaking them during snack times.

Short Order Figs

Breakfast: Greek yogurt, topped with quartered figs, a drizzle of maple syrup (I’ve tried extra virgin olive oil as well), toasted slivered almonds, and a teaspoon of chia seeds. Delicious.

Lunch: There are a few options: winter greens (endive, radicchio, arugula, or a mix), torn open figs, some toasted hazelnuts, crumbled goat cheese or English Stilton, simply dressed with a vinaigrette of lemon, olive oil and Dijon mustard seasoned with salt and pepper. Or simply serve with a few well chosen cheeses like English Stilton, chunks of Parmesan, goat's cheese or Manchego.

Dinner: Or, even simpler, I get the best Prosciutto I can find, thinly sliced that day if possible, layer it on a plate, top with sliced figs, and drizzle with very, very good extra virgin olive oil, the best you can source. This is, to me, the best kind of healthy because it feels luxurious and decadent.

Dessert: I like to bake figs drizzled with a red wine syrup spiked with star anise and black pepper, with a few thyme leaves and topped with chopped toasted pistachios, served with mascarpone or studded in a fragrant almond or pistachio cake or claflouti (take any similar recipe and substitute figs).

Red Wine Baked Figs with Thyme and Star Anise

Take 10 to 16 fresh figs, enough to loosely fit a baking dish, and quarter them at the top without cutting all the way through; in a small saucepan combine ½ cup red wine, ¼ cup sugar, 1 whole star anise, a few black peppercorns, and a grind of black pepper, bring to a boil and then simmer until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes; while that’s reducing, preheat your oven to 350°F, place the figs in a baking dish cut-side up with a few sprigs of thyme then pour the warm syrup over the top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size, just until softened; let cool for a minute or two, then spoon a little mascarpone into the center of each fig and finish with a generous sprinkle of chopped pistachios, serving warm with syrup spooned over.

Styling It Up

While tempting, I draw the line at serving these of all on one day or in one meal. But I do think about how I’m going to style them once they make it to my table. Sometimes I will place a marble bowl like this one from Olive Atelier in the center of the table, coupled with a pitcher of dahlias, and that serves as my centerpiece.

If you are lucky enough to have one of the best fig trees in your garden (or even indoors), cut branches with small green figs still attached for a spectacular display. For the linens, this year I’m going against my habitual blues and greens for a bounty of plum, aubergine, oxblood – all the dirty reds – in monochromatic layers, using fruits for an Old Masters-worthy setting.

Outside of cooking I’m planning my return to weekly entertaining with my Sunday Roast (more on that in the next column or in my newsletter Bread & Gravy, At the Old Stables), and I’m picking Dahlias like a mad lady. I planted them two ways this year: in raised beds, to see if I can avoid digging them up for next year’s crop, and in the front garden. It’s my first year – a test run for the future cutting garden and next year’s flower haul – and I’ll admit, I’m feeling rather smug about it. I did get them in a bit late, so I’m not sure they’ll all bloom, but with diligent pinching and cutting, they’ve been generous, flowering well into October.

This & That: Found This Week

• My one thing for the kitchen this week is to invest in an excellent chef's knife. And yes, it is definitely an investment, but one that will transform your cooking life. I love the Miyabi range from Williams Sonoma.
• Reading: Keith McNally’s I Regret Almost Everything, the famed restauranter's (known for Balthazar, Morandi, Odeon) seeming ode to regret, but really I find it an honest and nuanced memoir that is hiding in plain sight of a life well lived. It’s charming, poignant, and self-deprecating all at the same time. If listening to the audiobook, Richard E Grant is the narrator.
• Drinking: Lini 910 Labrusca Lambrusco Rosso, the much-maligned Italian sparkling red wine. Find a dry one, and it's a game-changer. Particularly good with all the figs, and roast turkey (Thanksgiving is coming).
• Cooking from Andy Baraghani's The Cook You Want to Be, his simple and sumptuous Persian-inspired recipes have me wanting to cook nearly every one. I made the Crispy Plum and Pistachio Cake and substituted the plums for figs.
• A fabulous Persian carpet found on Facebook Marketplace (my obsession for vintage finds). It's all rich reds, pure wool, and has the certificate of authenticity. Nothing makes me more satisfied than a good find.

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At Anna's Table is a biweekly column and modern guide to Savoir-Faire, in which Homes & Gardens' Editorial Director, Anna Last, shares a glimpse into the mindset of the moment, as well as what she's doing in her kitchen and bringing to the table with the best of the season's produce.