New Friends & Figs

For 25 years I have driven by this house in my town and always take notice of how beautifully manicured the front lawn is.

Always green, with flowers around the borders and shrubs pruned just so.

I occasionally see an elderly man mowing the lawn in his white undershirt and always giggle.

He has fig trees, and a lot of them.

I see them every year, they are huge, tall, hanging over the fence, ripe with fruit, teasing me from my car.

Yesterday, after 25 years of passing by, I decided to ring their doorbell and ask if I could buy some of those gorgeous figs (since I wasn't able to find any good ones this year, as you know by my lack of fig recipes this season!).

It was a very spontaneous decision. I found myself on the stone porch, ringing the bell.

An attractive woman answered, speaking Italian on the phone to her friend.
I introduced myself and explained I would like to buy some of her husband's figs, if possible.

Though I don't speak fluent Italian, I can understand most conversation, and she was telling her friend on the telephone "Qualche donna vuole un po 'di fichi" (Some woman wants some figs).

She immediately ended her conversation and invited me in.
I was escorted thru the house to the back patio, where a huge bowl (decorated w/ fig leaves!) was waiting just for me!

She said "they are not for sale, God wants you to share"

I could not believe her generosity towards me, a complete stranger.

We sat down and had coffee and chatted about her having just finished chemotherapy, and how her husband built their house 44 years ago, moving here from Calabria.

She gave me a wonderful Calabrian stuffed eggplant recipe made w/ pork and veal and invited me back another day for lunch.

I could not believe my good fortune!

This is all a true story.

Meet my new friend Rosa.

Have a great weekend. :)