Everyday Fig Loaf: A Simple, Nourishing Recipe with Signe Langford

Written By Steven Biggs - Fig Expert

Gluten-Free Fig Loaf

In this episode, I’m joined by chef, recipe developer, and food writer Signe Langford to talk about one of those fig recipes that quietly becomes part of your everyday routine: a wholesome, seed-and-nut fig loaf.

Made with dried figs, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, this loaf is dense, sliceable, and full of flavour—perfect for breakfast, snacking, or alongside cheese.

We talk about:

  • Why figs are such a powerful ingredient in the kitchen

  • How simple, whole-food recipes can still feel indulgent

  • The role of texture in recipes like this one (and why resting the batter matters)

  • Flexible substitutions using what you have on hand

This recipe is part of our ongoing work on a cookbook focused on olives, lemons, and figs—ingredients we keep coming back to for their flavour, versatility, and deep roots in food culture.

You can find the full recipe here.

And follow along as we develop the cookbook on Instagram: @oliveslemonsfigs

Steven Biggs - Fig Expert

Recognized by Garden Making magazine as one of the "green gang" of Canadians making a difference in horticulture, Steven Biggs is a University of Guelph-trained horticulturist, former college instructor, and award-winning broadcaster and author.

He has been teaching gardeners how to grow figs in cold climates since 2011. But his interest in figs took off much earlier, in 1993, while working at a nursery with the UK National Collection of figs.

He’s the author of the first book about growing figs in cold climates, the award-winning Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t. His articles about growing figs have appeared in Fine Gardening, Garden Making, and Edible Toronto.

When not in the garden, you might catch him interviewing fig experts for his Fig Culture podcast.

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