There is a magical window of time when fresh figs are abundant, and now is the time. Soft and fragrant, fresh figs are oh-so-ethereal to eat. Their flavor is delicate yet nuanced. Depending on the variety, they can be sweet and winey, honeyed or grassy.

Black Mission figs are the smallest -- dark and furtively sweet. Brown Turkey figs are larger, striated in brown and yellow, and pleasingly sweet like honey. Calimyrna figs are perhaps the prettiest -- green and golden like wheatgrass, with a nutty vegetal flavor.

When figs are ripe, they are luscious to eat straight up, but if you are lucky to have too many, then layer them into sandwiches and salads, or perch them atop pizzas and bruschetta.

This salad is studded with Brown Turkey figs, and fortified with farro grains, feta cheese and pistachios for the right balance of sweet, salt and heft. If you prefer a leafier salad, then halve the amount of farro.

Fig and Farro Salad With Feta and Mint

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes, plus cooling time

Yield: Serves 4

1/2 cup semi-pearled farro

1 1/2 cups water

Dressing:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 small garlic clove

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 to 4 ounces baby arugula

1/2 small radicchio head, shredded

6 Brown Turkey figs, stemmed and quartered

2 ounces crumbled feta or fresh goat cheese

1/4 cup mint leaves, torn if large

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pistachios

Finely grated lemon zest, for garnish

Cook the farro: Combine the farro and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and cool the farro to room temperature.

Make the dressing: Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking to emulsify.

Assemble the salad: Combine the arugula and radicchio in a serving bowl. Scatter the farro over the salad and top with the figs, cheese and mint. Drizzle some of the dressing and gently toss to combine. Add more dressing to your taste. Garnish with the pistachios and lemon zest and serve immediately.

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When it comes to baking, I like to keep it simple, preferring presentations that are not too fussy, but fresh and light. This especially applies to cake.

It was my daughter’s birthday recently, and her favorite cake is a Danish lagkage (layer cake), which is the traditional birthday cake served at celebrations. In refreshing Danish fashion, the cake is simple and minimal, with thin layers of vanilla sponge, whipped cream and fresh fruit. In the summer, we pluck raspberries and strawberries for decoration and to layer between the cake. In the winter, we smear preserves (made from berries we picked the previous summer) over each cake layer before adding the cream. Sometimes we combine both the whole fruit and the preserves. It’s flexible and beautiful, no piping, no bling. The only decorations are a pile of fresh berries on top and pretty snipped edible flowers from the garden. It’s perfect.

I have messed around with different vanilla cake recipes over the years, and this is the one I currently favor. This sponge cake recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated. Make sure that all of the sponge cake ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.

Danish Layer Cake With Whipped Cream and Berries

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling time

Yield: Serves: 8 to 10

Cake:

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Whipped Cream:

2 cups chilled heavy cream

2 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar

1 cup raspberries

Assorted berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries, red or black currants) for garnish

Fresh edible flowers and herb sprigs for garnish

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two (8- or 9-inch) cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and butter the parchment.

Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium bowl to combine.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Briefly mix on low speed to blend.

Add 1/3 of the butter to the flour mixture and mix on low speed to blend, then increase the speed to medium and mix for about 10 seconds.

Add half of the remaining butter and mix for 10 to 15 seconds to blend. Add the remaining butter and mix for 10 to 15 seconds. The mixture should be wet and granular.

Add half of the egg mixture and mix to just combine without overmixing. Add the remaining egg mixture and mix until smooth without overmixing.

Divide the batter between the pans. Transfer to the oven and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes and cool completely. When cool, use a serrated knife to slice the cakes in half horizontally (optional).

Make the cream:

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer until traces of the whisk are apparent. Add the sugar and beat until firm peaks form. Place 1 cup raspberries in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add half of the whipped cream and gently stir to combine.

Assemble:

Place one cake layer on a cake plate and top with raspberry cream. Repeat with remaining layers. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. (You can leave the sides “naked” if desired.) Top with fresh berries. Garnish with snipped edible flowers and/or herbs. Serve the cake immediately.

Tip: If you would like more fruit flavor, gently heat 8 ounces high-quality raspberry preserves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until runny. Cool slightly and spread over each cake layer before topping with the whipped cream.

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When it's super-hot outside, who wants to cook? In the heat of summer, dinner prep should be low-maintenance. Appetites are limp in high temperatures, and fresh salads filled with juicy ingredients are cool and nourishing. For a whole meal, salads can reach beyond the garden while remaining light and fresh. The addition of legumes and grains provides substance, less the weight of heavy meat proteins. Tabbouleh salad is a perfect answer to this tall hot-weather order.

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad consisting of nutty bulgur wheat and gads of fresh chopped herbs and chopped garden vegetables. Bulgur is a nutritious, cracked whole-wheat cereal grain that is minimally processed, and a good source of protein, B vitamins, magnesium and iron. It’s available as a fine, medium or coarse grain.

While traditional tabbouleh often uses fine-grain bulgur, I prefer medium-grain with its toothsome satisfying texture. The salad is bound together by olive oil and generous squirts of bright citrus juice, and infused with the flavor of an unabashed amount of spices.

This salad is delicious as is, or spooned into pita pockets and garnished with additional feta, fresh mint and a squirt of harissa or hot sauce. Either way, it’s guaranteed to wake your taste buds from their summer siesta reverie.

Greek Tabbouleh Salad

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 cups bulgur

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste

3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced

1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup crumbled feta

Combine the bulgur, water, and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover the bowl and let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes.

Fluff the bulgur with a fork, and add the oil, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne and stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and taste for seasoning. If the bulgur is too dry, add additional olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve your desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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