Follow
Fruit of the Week:
August Fire Nectarines
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Elegantly shaped and rich in flavor, with deep red skin and warm orange flesh.
Flavor King Pluots
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
A dark-skinned pluot with red flesh, it has an intense rich flavor combined with sweet, spicy tones that are reminiscent of the Santa Rosa. A nice acid bite and firm texture that softens beau- tifully as the fruit continues to ripen, the Flavor King is amazing out of hand and equally good for baking.
Emerald Beaut Plums
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
A freestone plum, the Emerald Beaut is a delicate green that turns golden with a hint of a blush. It has a firmer texture than the Santa Rosa with a crisp almost crunchy mouthfeel. One of our most hardy fruit, the Emerald Beaut just gets sweeter and sweeter without losing texture as it ages.
Flavor Heart Pluots
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
The Flavor Heart gets its name from its distinctively tapered shape. Its meaty, pale yellow flesh is very low in acid and the sweetness and color contrasts strikingly with its dark purple almost black skin.
Red Flame Seedless Grapes
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Enjoy these out of hand or try them in green salads, chicken salads, or fruit salads.
Hosui Asian Pear
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Hosuis are very sweet with a mild pear taste, their round shape and beautiful golden hue make them ideal for presentation! They have a rougher skin than the other Asian pear varieties we grow. They have a flesh that while still crunchy has a more melgting mouthful, making the texture combination when eaten out of hand spectacular.
…all varieties are subject to change…
News of the week:
Our Red Flame Grape vines.
Dear CSA Members,
Hot. Hot. Hot
Did I say hot? It is SO hot. We have had more days over 100 degrees this year than any of us can remember. This current heatwave is brutal. Our kids outside activities have been canceled this weekend, we’re shutting down the crews 2 hours shy of when they normally clock out in an effort to keep them out of the worst of the heat. Crazy enough, some of them aren’t happy about having to lose two hours of work. They don’t think of this current hot weather in terms of being dangerous to their health. They are just annoyed it’s taking money out of their pockets. We, on the other hand, are VERY concerned about what this kind of heat (111+ degrees) does to people working in it. And the air quality right now would be dangerous without this intense heat – so we’re looking at a double whammy in trying to keep our crews safe.
Heat illness can start when it’s only 80 degrees outside and someone is exerting themselves physically. I don’t know about you, but climbing up and down an eight-foot ladder, while carrying a box of fruit you’re picking, is an exertion for me! It is for most people. Think about doing it when it’s 111, 112, or even 114 degrees. Personally, I’d fail. These guys have my upmost respect for the work they do. And, they do it happily. These men and women love what they do. They work harder than most people I know for a lot less money and they still love it. I admire that. A lot.
We’re towards the end of our picking season, our crews are tired, and yet, we still have a fair bit left to do. Things that HAVE to get done. Like picking the Emerald Beauts for instance! So, when a heatwave like this, hits it’s a big challenge for us as farmers and as business owners who have a responsibility to both our customers AND our crews. It becomes a balancing act. How much can we get done without jeopardizing our team’s health and still fulfill all our commitments for fruit to our wholesale customers, our CSA members, our Mail Order customers and our farmer’s market customers who are all counting on fruit for their families? I must give Farmer Al the kudos here. He listens to his crews, he knows his customers well and he is able to mange to keep everyone happy. Not an easy task. Me? I’d shut everything down, send everyone home and declare it a National holiday for whomever invented air conditioning. So, thankfully, Farmer Al is in charge this week (hee hee, he thinks he’s in charge all the time… Becky and I know differently).
Stay cool!
Sarah
