A column I published earlier this year in January, about my encounter last fall with cherished fig trees grown on the Canadian border of Niagara Falls, attracted the keen eye of reader Gina Geiss of Schererville, prompting her to write to me the following email:
“Hello Phil! I loved your article that was in the Jan. 15 Post-Tribune. Matter of fact, my friend also saved it for me, because I have told her about my family and the labor of love in having fig trees. Back in 1953, my father came from Italy with a piece of fig tree. Fast forward to today, my husband and I have 15 fig trees, all from my father’s clippings, and we bury them every Oct.-Nov. and replant them in May. When I harvest the figs (we have the purple mission figs) in September, my kitchen overflows with canning jars, cakes and Cuccidati, which is the traditional Italian fig cookie. Thank you for writing such a true, heartwarming article! Keep of the good work. Reader Gina DeAngelis Geiss of Schererville.”
I responded to Gina back in January, and discovered she is also president of the Italian American Women’s Club of Lake County, which led me to invite her (and she accepted) to be a guest on my morning radio show during that same week, on WJOB while I was guest-hosting for vacationing Jim Dedelow.
Gina, 62, and husband Dennis, 63, have been married 26 years and have a beautiful sprawling three and half acres which are now home to her family’s heirloom fig trees, which are more than 70 years old.
Back in January, Gina and Dennis invited me to visit them on the May Saturday which is their ceremonial unearthing and up-righting of their precious fig trees. The magic date for 2023 was last Saturday, May 13 for Mother’s Day weekend and I gladly accepted their invitation.
– Original Credit: Post-Tribune
“While growing up, my dad had 22 of these fig trees in the tiny backyard of our house on the southeast side of Chicago at 105th Street and Avenue H,” Gina said.
“It was my brother, and uncles and my dad’s nephews who helped care for all of the trees.”
Gina’s dad Cataldo DeAngelis passed at age 86 in 2007, and all of the trees were removed from the family home and transported to Dennis and Gina’s landscape to be cared and nurtured to continue her father’s dedication to the family fig roots of “the Old Country.”
Kept carefully pruned, the fig trees never grow past six feet tall, which Dennis said is intentional to assure Gina can reach all of the branches during the fall harvest, which results in around 30 pounds per season.
As for the burying and unearthing, Gina said during her youth, the labor of love was accomplished “with shovels and muscle.” Today, her husband uses a small tractor to create the needed trenches and holes. For the winterization covering, the couple prefers plastic and leaves.
“Figs have so many delicious recipe possibilities,” said Gina, who still cans and bakes using her mother’s original early 1950s Universal white porcelain stove.
“A couple of years ago, I started to jar our figs whole with slices of lemon when canning. They make a delectable presentation on a charcuterie board, and the leftover syrup from the jar works well to marinated pork or add to meat in a slow cooker.”
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.
Cuccidatie Italian Fig Cookies
Makes 5 dozen
Filling:
1 cup packed soft dried figs
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup brandy
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup whole almonds toasted and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts toasted and chopped
Pastry dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest
Icing:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Directions:
1. To make filling, pulse figs and raisins in a food processor until finely chopped and then stir together will all remaining filing ingredients and chill covered at least 8 hours.
2. To make dough, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and blend with fingertips or a pastry blender just until mixture resembles a course meal.
3. Add eggs, milk, vanilla and zest to flour and butter mixture and stir with fork until dough forms. Halve dough and gather each portion into a ball and flatten into a rough 4-6 inch rectangle between sheets of plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees and roll out dough into a 15-inch by 14-inch rectangle on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin and then cut into 4 strips that are 10 inch by 3 1/2 inches. Create a 1/3 cup filling strip about 1-inch in width as a strip down the center of each strip. Fold sides of each strip up over the filling to enclose. Turn rolls seam-side down and flatten slightly.
5. Cut logs crosswise with a floured knife into 1 1/2 inch wide slices and arrange on a large buttered baking sheet.
6. Bake cookies in batches until golden on the edges, about 16-20 minutes. Cool on rack about 10 minutes before icing.
7. To make icing, whisk all ingredients together and lightly brush on cooled cookies.
