Figs have started appearing in the local markets across Sofia. I don't know much about the fruit. It's just not a fruit that I grew up eating. I don't think that they like the growing season in Washington State.

In the States, I've seen figs and eaten them dried, reduced in sauces or turned into jam but generally they are too expensive to buy fresh carefully packed four to a plastic container. But in Bulgaria, it's like they grow on trees! I know, right!?

[caption id="attachment_3302" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Fresh Fig! "]<a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dsc019231.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-3302" title="Fresh Fig! " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dsc019231.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

The best thing? Fresh figs are so delicious.

I love them. Just washed. Or sliced open and dripped with honey. Or with yogurt. Wowsa figs are delightful.<!--more-->

So I guess it should come as no surprise that I just spent a couple of hours this past weekend browsing recipes for figs on the website<a href="http://foodblogsearch.com" target="_blank"> foodblogsearch</a>. Man these food bloggers are so creative. And all of the fig dishes sound so good and the pictures are excellent. Good thing I am not writing a food blog. There's stiff competition in that world.  There's a little less competition in the English-language-blog-about-life-in-Bulgaria category of blogging.

Anyhow, back to the figs! The highlights of what I discovered follow:
<ul>
	<li>Here's a girl who seems to <a href="http://shewhoeats.blogspot.com/2005/10/sweet-affair-with-figs.html" target="_blank">love figs</a> as much as I do. She's got recipes for a Fresh Fig Tart with Rosemary Cornmeal Crust and Lemon Mascarpone Cream, Figs on Toast with Cheese, Figs Poached in Spiced Sweet Wine and even a recipe for Fig Cake with Olive Oil and Sweet White Wine.</li>
	<li>There's is recipe which is a take on pineapple upside down cake which sounds and looks incredibly good--<a href="http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2009/10/not-one-but-two-fresh-fig-cake-recipes.html" target="_blank">Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake</a>.</li>
	<li>Then there's my friend Nick's <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/2009/08/fresh-fig-tart/" target="_blank">Fresh Fig Tart</a>. This looks pretty tasty but maybe a little bit rich for me.</li>
	<li>The <a href="http://www.goodeatsblog.com/2008/09/baked-brie-with-homemade-crackers.html" target="_blank">Baked Brie and Homemade Crackers</a> sound pretty to die for. Only I wouldn't use fig preserves. I'd just layer in fresh figs.</li>
	<li>But it turns out that not all recipes need to be sweet. Case and point, this recipe for <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/2009/08/27/grilled-fig-bruschetta-with-gorgonzola-and-honey/" target="_blank">Grilled Fig Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey</a></li>
	<li>Or this: <a href="http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/2003/12/fig-onion-and-black-olive.html" target="_blank">Fig, Onion and Black Olive Tapenade</a> recipe.</li>
	<li>To top it all off, there's this incredible recipe for <a href="http://mikes-table.themulligans.org/2008/10/25/honeyed-balsamic-braised-chicken-with-figs/" target="_blank">Honeyed Balsamic Braised Chicken with Figs</a>.</li>
</ul>
At this point, the real question is how am I ever going to pick which recipes to try? I mean, it seems unlikely that I'll ever find time to make all of these recipes. What's a girl to do?

Eat Figs!