We just walked in the door to find these luscious, black mission figs from California waiting for us. I haven't decided what to do with them—a rich velvety jam or sliced up alongside some creamy Chevre or perhaps filled with ricotta and drizzled with aged balsamic—the possibilities are endless. It's amazing what a little time on a ship can do to inspire oneself in the kitchen, especially after eating heavy pastry-crusted meat pies and almond pumpkin soup one too many times; fresh summer produce almost overwhelms.

We are beginning to plan our summer holiday and it looks as though A's photography will take us on an seaside expedition of the high Arctic from Norway, circumnavigating Spitzbergen to Greenland and finally to Iceland for about 3 weeks. We will live minimally in a cabin aboard a ship of about 50 other photographers/crew members. I'm starting to think about books--mainly which of the great classics should accompany me during my time with the rolling waves, the icebergs, the creatures, and the big blue sea.

[Above] Images from Ralph Morse, longtime photojournalist for LIFE magazine.