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THIS WEEK’S FRUIT:
Suncrest Peaches
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
A Slow Food Ark heritage variety, the Suncrest has all the old-fashioned taste of days gone by. Its a truly memorable peach whose firm but juicy flesh provides a real eat-over-the-sink experience. Gently tapered, the Suncrest has hardly any blush to speak of on its rich yellow skin. A more fragile variety, the Suncrest bruises easily when picked, but as many of our farmers market customers know, a picking bruise means the fruit is extra delicious.
Ruby Grand Nectarines
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
The Ruby Grand is our first yellow nectarine of the harvest season. It’s naturally large and fragrant with an intense flavor. It’s firm flesh has a melting mouthful and is a very versatile fruit, excellent for eating fresh, canning, freezing, and for drying.
Dapple Dandy Pluot
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Playfully called the “dinosaur egg” pluot, the Dapple Dandy has marbled pink and green skin over delicate white flesh threaded with rose. Kids especially love this pluot for its distinctive coloration and the lack of tartness in the skin.
Santa Rosa Plums
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Famed California horticulturist Luther Burbank bred this plum in his Santa Rosa plant research center. Red-skinned with a purple bloom, its amber flesh gets flushed with red. It’s plump perfection with tender flesh that’s extremely sweet and juicy. A bit of tartness in the skin balances out the sweetness.
A NOTE FROM FARMER AL:
Dear CSA Members:
Just when we thought we had it made, Mother Nature comes home to roost. We’ve been cruising along all season (May-June) enjoying moderate weather, but now the HEAT is ON! It’ll be above 100 for the next several days.
Our strategy is simple:
• Irrigate
• Stay ahead on picking
EVERYONE is up to the task. We’ve advanced our irrigation schedule five days. This morning the ground team rolled into action, turned on two of our 3 irrigation pumps, and the water started flowing. They are out there right now walking up and down each and every row inspecting each micro-sprinkler (one for each tree) to make sure they are functioning properly each man is carrying a 4 foot stick. Any sprinkler that isn’t working gets a tap with the stick to hopefully dislodge any seed or grass which may be causing the blockage. This technique works well – much faster than bending down on the knees to determine the problem – just give it a whack! And move on quickly. The ground team typically can cover about 20-30 acres a day doing it this way – which is a really good thing since the heat will be here tomorrow!
Where the picking is concerned we’re also ahead of the heat. Not behind on anything and luckily, all of the really risky varieties which are prone to DROP with heat stress, like our Golden Sweet Apricots have all been harvested. Phew!
The Dapple Dandy Pluot is the farmer’s “best fruit”. In industry speak, it “hangs well on the tree”! That translates to it really clings tight to the branch and will not fall, even when it’s ripe (one of the things that drives me CRAZY is when my men are picking ripe apricots for every 4 that are picked one falls off the tree ends up on the ground – what a waste!) That doesn’t happen to the Dapple Dandys. Even the most extreme heat (over 100) doesn’t bother them. They hang out on the tree waiting for the men to pluck them off the branch and gently put them into the picking totes. Same is true with the Summer Flare nectarines.
So, long story short, this particular heatwave, I’m not worried, so you don’t have to be either!
Organically Yours,
Farmer Al
