Fruit and News of the Week: January 12th

THIS WEEK’S FRUIT

Tarocco Blood Orange

Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA

A beautiful orange to deep red flesh is revealed when you slice open a Tarocco. The flesh of the blood orange is firmer and more dense than an orange and its flavor is a little more tart. These beauties sweeten and darken in color as the season progresses.

Owari Mandarins

Abounding Harvest Mountain Farm, Los Gatos, CA

Owari mandarins are typically seedless with a thin skin that is loosely attached to the flesh making them very easy to peel. The flesh of the mandarin is very sweet and delicate leaving them susceptible to bruising, so handle with care.

Algerian Tangerine

Abounding Harvest Mountain Farm, Los Gatos, CA

This tangerines skin is a beautiful red orange hue and is so thin that it peels very easily. Inside the fruit is succulent and very sweet.

Cara Cara Oranges

Home Grown Farm, Porterville, CA

A medium sized red fleshed seedless navel orange. Cara caras are a low acid orange that makes the flesh sweeter and more complex than most navels.

Pink Lady Apple

Cuyama Farm, New Cuyama, CA

A cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams, the Pink Lady is a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. Pink skins and a creamy white colored flesh that resists browning makes this an excellent apple for salads and slicing.

Fuji Apples

Cuyama Farm, New Cuyama, CA

Fujis are a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet, an heirloom apple dating back to Thomas Jefferson. Fujis are loved by many for their crisp, sweet, and juicy character.

Hayward Kiwis

Chiechi Farm, Live Oak, CA

Originally known as the Chinese gooseberry due to its Chinese origins. Hawyward Wright, a New Zealand nurseryman propagated his plants by grafting, and they eventually became the preferred cultivar of growers due to their sweet flavor and thin skin.

Hass Avocado

Sundance Organics, Oceanside, CA

Creamy in texture, nutty in flavor, with a small to medium seed. The Hass skin is easy to peel and darkens from green to purplish-black as it ripens.

A NOTE FROM FARMER AL

Dear CSA Members:

Today something different is happening here at Frog Hollow Farm. We’re planting BARLEY!

There’s something special,wonderful actually, about planting seed in soil on a warm, sunny day in January, no less! In short sleeves to boot! Seven of us who make our living tending soil gather around this GINORMOUS tractor (New Holland, 130 horse power) with this impressive looking planter mounted behind it. This tractor is capable of planting 40 acres of grain per day, but we only have 9 to tackle today. None of our tractors are this big or set up to plant row crops, so we enlisted the assistance of another local grower, Bob Cecchini, who graciously loaned us the use of his tractor and a driver.

It was almost like a party with seven of us standing around watching this huge tractor pulling the planter behind it, planting seeds into soil, all of us asking questions of Bob Cecchini and enjoying the spectacular weather. Although we are enjoying this weather, we’re still doing our rain dances because now we need rain to water our barely! The seven people comprised of two old farmers (Bob and I), Sarah, three young farmers (Marlene, Kristin and Christian, who the driver of the tractor from First Generation Farmers) and Bob’s regular tractor driver who was making sure the planter was adjusted correctly (and I suspect he was keeping an eye on his baby – New Holland) and planting just the right amount of seed per acre.

This project has taken me back to the days when I first started farming here in Brentwood. Corn was my first crop and I still remember in vivid detail how exciting it was to see the seeds germinate and those first shoots emerging from the soil.

Why plant barely? Well… I was approached by Thirsty Bear in SF and asked if I would consider it. I thought, why not?! This will be an adventure in farming and beer brewing and I’m game! We’ll keep you updated as to when the barely is malted, the beer is brewing and when it’ll be served…

Organically yours,