California figs are available from June through September – when full sun all day ripens the sweet fruits. The Black Mission Fig is native to the Balearic Islands, an archipelago of Spain in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Spaniards brought the fig to America in 1520. The (California) Mission fig received its given name in honor of the missionary fathers – priests at Mission San Diego, who originally planted figs in California in 1769. In the late 1880s, fig orchards covered much of the area within the city limits of Fresno, the heart of the central San Joaquin Valley, the largest agricultural sector of California.
The classic pairing of fresh figs with salty prosciutto is one of our favorites. Sous Chef Anna Steege makes a brick oven pizza that is a guest (and staff) favorite, by combining tangy blue cheese, caramelized onions, black mission figs and Italian prosciutto.
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