For years, I avoided  figs at all cost.  My childhood memories of throwing rotten fruit that had fallen from the tree in my best friend’s yard tainted any thoughts of actually eating one.  As far as I was concerned, figs were gushy, sticky and positively repulsive.

Then, as an adult and a food writer at that, I felt compelled to at least try one of these fruits that so many others had described as utterly ambrosial.  Plucked right off the tree, it was perfectly ripe and felt like a miniature water balloon in my hand.

I was a convert at first bite.  The flavor was mild and sweet as honey with faint undertones of vanilla.  The pink inner flesh glowed like a jewel.  It was silky and soft, all but melting in my mouth, and the seeds popped between my teeth like caviar.

It’s amazing how much difference it makes to eat fruit in its time.

Now I know why some people suggest the forbidden fruit Eve nibbled in the Garden of Eden really was a fig.  Few fruits are as sensual.

As irresistible as ripe figs are eaten out of hand, they lend themselves beautifully to cooking.   Figs wrapped in prosciutto and grilled have become a fall classic on Bay Area restaurant menus.  I particularly like them in this tart, where bright raspberries play counterpoint to luxuriously rich figs set against a background of custard spiked with cognac.  The almond inflected crust is tender and flaky.

Although it looks complicated, the dough comes together quickly in a food processor. And you can divide the work into steps, making the crust one day and the custard another.

One trick I picked up from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “The Pie and Pastry Bible” (Scribner, 1998) for transferring the rolled dough smoothly to the tart pan is to use an 8-inch cake pan.  Turn the cake pan bottom up and drape the dough, still between sheets of plastic wrap, centered over the pan.  Peel off the upper layer of plastic and invert the tart pan over the dough.  Holding the cake pan and tart pan together, quickly flip them over.  Ta da!  The dough is is in the tart pan without tearing.  Carefully remove the remaining layer of plastic and you’re ready to trim and chill.

I used the green-skinned Kadota figs now in season for this tart, but you’ll probably find black Mission figs in the market, too. Brown Turkey figs could be available into November if the weather stays warm.  We Californians are lucky that most of the U.S. crop is grown within the Golden State.

When you’re picking the fruit, remember that ripe figs are not all beautiful from the outside.  They tend to be a little wrinkly, maybe with a few splits on the sides.  They should be soft and heavy and there may be a little drop of thick juice at the end.   Just avoid those with a sour smell or any signs of molding or bruising.

If your figs are still slightly under-ripe, you can soften them slightly by placing them on a plate on the kitchen counter, out of direct sun, for a day or so.  Ripe fresh figs, though, should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator on a plate lined with paper towels. Eat within two or three days.