You may not know this, but Luvo headquarters is tucked away in Richmond, BC, Canada (a suburb of Vancouver) surrounded by lots of family-run farms and local markets. In this corner of the world, we’re known for growing blueberries and cranberries, which thrive in the peaty soil here.

Because of the moisture in our soil – as Richmond sits slightly below sea level – various fruits grow wild around the area. Over the summer, the Luvo team discovered an apple tree that is now beautifully ripe to pick. We also found rose hips and enough blackberries to bake about one hundred pies (no exaggeration). But the best find of all has been the figs.

Near the train station many of us travel through to get to the office stands a massive fig tree. It doesn’t look like it was placed there on purpose, just a random addition to our strangely bountiful surroundings.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, a few other in-season fruits and veggies you should try to source locally are corn, apples, beets and brussels sprouts. Keep an eye out while perusing your favorite farmers markets.

Now, back to the figs. While they’re delicious to eat fresh right from the tree, figs are one of the more versatile fruit because they taste good with just about anything. Here’s five ways to get your fig on.

Maple Roasted Goat Cheese Figs
For something slightly decadent, slice off the stems, cut an ‘X’ in the top of the figs, and using a small spoon stuff each one with chèvre. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle some maple syrup over top. Then bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Fig Bruschetta
First you want to bake and soften the figs. Cut off the steams, slice them into quarters and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. On top of thinly sliced baguette, spread a light ricotta, add your figs and finish with chopped pecans and fresh sprigs of thyme.

Kale Fig Avocado Salad
Chop one head of kale and sauté on high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool. Add in a drizzle of olive oil and freshly squeezed limejuice and toss. Add one sliced avocado, 3-4 figs cut into quarters and a handful of chopped red onions.

 

Grilled Figs with Honeyed Mascarpone
The best thing about figs is how they pair so perfectly with both savoury and sweet dishes. So naturally, we need to include a dessert on this list. Kitchn came up with this mouth-watering treat that’s really simple to make (tried and tested #yum). Get the recipe here.

 

Fig Thyme Cocktail
You can’t be nibbling on all of this great fig-centric food without something to wash it down with. Cap off your fig feast with this stylish yet seasonal libation from Honestly Yum. They walk you through step-by-step from infusing your simple syrup to adding your final garnish here.

What’s your favorite way to eat figs? Have a recipe to share? Let us know in the comments below.