Follow

THIS WEEK’S FRUIT

Hass Avocado
Del Ray Farm, Riverside, 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.

Fuerte Avocado
Churchill -Brenneis Orchard, Ojai, CA
A California variety prized by specialty growers for it’s ability to withstand freezing and was aptly named “Fuerte” or strong in Spanish. It has a smooth, thin, grass green skin with pale green flesh. Fuerte are less oily than a Hass, but have a rich and nutty flavor.

Fuji Apple
Cuyama, New Cuyama, CA
Fujis are a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet, an heirloom apple dating back to Thomas Jefferson. They are one of the sweetest variety apples around making them a household favorite.

Pink Lady Apple
Cuyama, New Cuyama, CA
Pink Lady’s are a cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. They are a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. Pink skins and a creamy white colored flesh that resists browning make this an excellent apple for salads and slicing.

Murcott Mandarin
Wild River Farm, Marysville, CA
Murcott Mandarins are known for their rich flavor and deeply hued flesh and juice. Their small size and sweet juice makes them a favorite with little ones.

Ruby Grapefruit
CCH Citrus, Riverside, CA
The Grapefruit is said to be a cross between the Jamaican sweet orange and the Indonesian pomelo, first documented in 1750. Under its thick skin you’ll find an aromatic juicy flesh with a perfect sweet tart flavor. Brighten up your savory salads or include the juice in your vinaigrettes.

A NOTE FROM FARMER WILL

Hello CSA Members!

Until just a few days ago, I had totally forgotten that it was still winter. With the exception of some dense delta fog that blanketed the farm yesterday morning, the sun has been shining bright and nature seems to be alive once more. Our crops are getting tall, the bees and bugs are buzzing and the weeds are big. It feels like there’s much to do, and there is. And since the rain has left us, we’ve had the chance to accomplish a lot so far.

While new peach trees are being planted and older ones are being trained and pruned in the midst of pushing their blooms, we’ve been harvesting broccoli, cauliflower and baby salad greens from the garden. Anna has been making quiches for our café in the Ferry Building with the broccoli and cauliflower and they are without a doubt some of the best I have ever had. The broccoli and cheddar quiche is outstanding, and I can’t wait to taste the cauliflower, cumin and fontina cheese quiche.

We’ve planted another round of purple and green kales and lettuces and we’re about to start trialing yellow onion varieties. We’ve sown 5 different varieties: Candy, Pontiac, Great Western, Cortland and Expression. We’re going to grow them all out and see which ones grow, store and taste the best. Some of these onion varieties can store for over 6 months. So hopefully we find one that stores well for a really long time and maintains a great flavor!

As kale, lettuce and onions come out of the old greenhouse and head into the garden, we’re sowing tomatoes, peppers, basil and swiss chard in flats to grow big before they make their way to the field. These summer veggie starts are actually the first plants to live in our brand new hoop house! The hoop house’s structure is complete and it has its film on, and while there are a few cosmetic touches to add before I would feel comfortable calling it finished, it is fully functional and ready to be used.

It’s such a relief to be able to use the space in the new greenhouse. To feel the heat inside, and to know that it is going to allow our vegetable production here at Frog Hollow to reach it’s full potential is such a gratifying feeling. Being able to house more seedlings and more efficiently use more of our land is crucial in expanding our vegetable and beginning farmer program.

Organically yours,

Assistant Farmer Will