Fruity souvenirs from the Canaries’ warm climes

FIRST MORNING back from the ever-lovely island of La Gomera, in the Canaries, and it’s porridge with figs for breakfast; fresh figs purloined from a roadside tree as we drove across the island to catch the boat to Tenerife for our flight home.

Sliced fresh figs, “skin an’ all,” like the natives are said to “ate potatoes” in Cork. Tomorrow, it will be mangoes as big as Jaffa oranges, sliced, like the figs, because that is the secret of eating mangoes. Bite into them, and you will have a face-full of juice and dentures full of fibres.

Lightly score the skin into segments with a knife tip and pull it off, and then slice the meat off the stone into strips. The result will be juice on your fingers, juice on the plate, and the most delicious slivers of soft fruit you have ever tasted.