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THIS WEEK’S FRUIT

Shinko Asian Pears
Asian pears are also known as “apple pears” as they’re often described as having the texture and shape of the apple but with the smooth sweetness of a pear. Botanically, they’re true pears and are native to China and Japan. The Shinko’s skin is bronze with brown russeting and its juicy, creamy white flesh has a subtly rich flavor. One of the last pears to pick, it comes off the tree with a butterscotch note to its sweetness. Pears are great sources of Vitamin C which, fights free radicals. They are also an excellent source of fiber. Eat the skins! Research shows that the skins contain three to four times as many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids as the flesh. Doctors also recommend pears for introducing babies to solid foods because they are low in acid and will be easier on babies tummies.

Warren Pears
The Warren is to our pears as the Cal Red is to our peaches and the Flavor King to our pluots. This is Frog Hollow Farm’s signature pear and for good reason. Too difficult to grow for most farmers to consider it’s never caught on commercially but Farmer Al has never shied away from putting the time and effort into a fruit that tastes so good. It has a classic European texture, very soft and juicy with a silky sweetness that avoids the typical grittiness found in most pears. Pears are great sources of Vitamin C which, fights free radicals. They are also an excellent source of fiber. Eat the skins! Research shows that the skins contain three to four times as many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids as the flesh. Doctors also recommend pears for introducing babies to solid foods because they are low in acid and will be easier on babies tummies.

Pink Lady Apples
A cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams, the Pink Lady is a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. A creamy white colored flesh that resists browning makes this an excellent apple for salads and slicing. Also a modern day favorite for eating out of hand. The apple a day adage may be spot on. Recent research has shown that apples are associated with lower risk of heart diseases and strokes. They are also an excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C.

Pomegranate
Native to the regions of Persia and the Western Himalayan range, pomegranates have been cultivated for several millennia. When sliced open a beautiful array of jewel like seeds are displayed. The aril is the colorful casing that surrounds the edible seeds and has a sweet tart flavor. Enjoy the arils alone or use them in salads, desserts, or holiday beverages. Deemed a superfruit, pomegranates contain high levels of Vitamin C and polyphenols. Polyphenols are thought to prevent degenerative diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The arils and seeds are also an excellent source of fiber.

Fuyu Persimmons
The Fuyu has a crisp texture and delicate sweet flavor. They can be eaten out of hand but are also delicious sliced with salads or as accompinament to soft fresh cheeses such as marscapone and burrata. Persimmons are gaining recognition as another great fruit to consume for health reasons. They have been found to be a good source of B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B-6, and thiamin which act as co-factors for many metabolic enzymatic functions in the body. Persimonns are also high in Vitamin C and polyphenols, as well as betulinic acid, an important anti-tumor compound.

A Note from Farmer Al

OLIO NUOVO

Dear CSA Members,

Chef Becky gives her blessing to the olio nuovo, the first pressing of the 2012 olive crop, and says it may be our best oil ever!

“Bright and fruity up front, followed by piquant grassy notes, and finishing with a little “bite”. She strongly influenced my decision to pick the olives earlier this year, wanting “greener“oil, a more traditional Tuscan flavor profile. It definitely worked!

I was also influenced by more practical reasons: First, since greener olives yield less oil, with such a large crop, having enough oil to sell is not an issue. Second, this years’ olive crop is huge, and I knew it would take a week longer to pick it. (By the way, the olive oil pressed from the olive picked first week will have a slightly different character than the oil pressed from the last week and we are going to see if we can taste the difference.) Third, this years’ California crop of olives is heavy meaning there will be more competition getting mill slots scheduled. And last, with such a large quantity of oil, it will take longer to sell, so storage is a factor; greener oil, with higher polyphenol content has a much longer shelf life than the “golden” oils (and more anti oxidants and more health benefits.)

This years’ crop is unbelievable! Our trees, 400 in all, planted along roads and property lines in single rows, look like weeping willows, with their branches, laden with olives, bent to the ground,. One tree alone had 300 lbs of olives and it took my best picker an entire day to pick it! Our crew picks the olives using their hands, finger tips wrapped in duct tape, like a rake sliding the olives off the branch into the picking tote. We then rush them to the mill in Petaluma within hours which is critical in assuring the highest quality oil.

Our inspiration for planting olives was a trip to Tuscany in November of 2001. We stayed at a B&B in Tuscany during olive harvest. On a warm, sunny day, with our host, Georgio and 4 members of his family representing 4 generations we picked olives by hand, into nets beneath the trees. While we picked they prepared a lunch of grilled sausages and lardon, salad, bread and red wine. We ate right there in the olive grove where we picked; nothing fancy, but delicious and totally unforgettable. After, we took the olives to the mill with Georgio and watched it being pressed. I’ll never forget the green color of that oil and its’ peppery taste. Our dream is to make oil that good and this year’s oil is a very good advance in that quest.