Go FIGure! New Ways To Enjoy Figs

Friday, March 1, 2019

(NAPSA)—A marvelous enhance- mentto almost any sweetorsavory dish, California Figs—eitherfresh or dried— area fruit not to be missed. Figs make it easy to be a better cook. So does a new cookbook. From healthy bites andfilling salads to creative pastasand indulgentdesserts, “California Figs Cookbook: A Collec- tion of Recipes for Fig Lovers”is full of tasty fig recipesfilled with appetizing ideas for using California figs. Created by the California Fig Advi- sory Board, an organization represent- ing Californias fig farmers, the cookbook features 62 recipes featuring fresh anddriedfigs, and a foreword withselect recipes by James Beard Award-winning chef Robert Del Grande. Recipes include delicious ways to California fresh and driedfigs help you addcolor, flavor and nutrition in pizzas and paninis—and a creative to many dishes. A new cookbook twist for yourplain yogurt. shows you how. serve figs from breakfast, lunch, and. snack time to dinner and dessert, even Yogurt With California Figs and Nut Butter Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes 2 cups plainor vanilla yogurt % cup peanutbutter 16 California Dried Figs, stems removed and minced 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 1 teaspoonvanilla extract 1 teaspoon maplesyrup 1 cup granola or muesli Add the yogurt and peanut butter toa mixing bowlandstir until smooth. Stir in the figs, cocoa, vanilla and maple syrup until all ingredients are combined. Transfer to a serving dish andtop with granola or muesli before serving. What You Need To Know About Buying Fresh Figs Here are seven helpfultips on select- ing andstoring California Fresh Figs, available May-November. California Dried Figs are available year-round. + Select plump, fragrant figs that havea little “give* when touched. + Thefruit should besoft andyieldingto the touch, but not mushy. Figs are fragile and bruise easily, so handlecarefully. + Fresh figs should berefrigerated as soonaspossible andstored upto 7 days. + To prevent bruising, arrange figs in single layer on paper towels or on paperliners. + Noneedto peel,just take bite and enjoythe colorful, sweetfruit inside. + Fresh figs canbefrozen.Just clean andfreeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Then,pack into self-closing plastic bags andstore in thefreezerfor up to 6 months. Figs Feature More ‘Than Just Good Taste Nutritionists anddietitians have long recognized the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables. The National CancerInstitute and others advise that eat- ing five or more servingsoffruits and vegetablesdaily helps to maintain health. Fresh anddriedfigsfit right into the “MoreIs Better” menusfrom the Pro- duce For Better Health Foundation. Figs are recognized as a good source ofdietaryfiber. Just three to five dried orfresh figs provide 5 grams oftotal dietary fiber, 1.5 grams of which is soluble fiber, the type offiber linkedto lowering blood cholesterol and improving blood sugar control. Figsare anall-natural energy source and contain more calcium, more potassium and more iron than many other commonfruits. They also contain disease-fighting antioxidants. Research showsthat among driedfruits,figs rank with other high antioxidant foods such as red wine andgreentea. When making meals andsnacks, figs add natural sweetness and flavor without addedsugarorsalt. This is important whendietary guidance around the world suggests that the consumption of both be reduced. Learn More To order your cookbook and for morefacts,tips and tasty California fig recipes, visit www.aliforniafigs.com.

--- PHOTOS ---

File: 20191107-133219-20191107-133217-86815.pdf.jpg

--- FILES ---

File: 20191107-133217-86815.pdf