THIS WEEK’S FRUIT

Summerset Peaches The Summerset matures into a very large peach, some weighing in at more than two pounds! Bright yellow with hardly no blush to speak of, the Summerset is a freestone that boasts a bold flesh that has a strong peach flavor. Sweet and juicy but with a tart, acidic bite, it makes for a nice contrast as a follow-up to the extremely sweet Cal Red. The Summerset has a nicely firm texture that freezes well and is a favorite of ours to bake with. Emerald Beaut Plums 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 King Pluots 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 beautifully as the fruit continues to ripen, the Flavor King is amazing out of hand and equally good for baking. Hosui Asian Pears The Hosui is popular in both Japan and in California. They have a rough, thick skin with flesh that while still crunchy has a more melting mouthful, making the texture combination when eaten out of hand spectacular. Very juicy and sweet with a milder pear taste, their round shape and beautiful golden hue make them ideal for presentation with a distinctively Autumnal feel. Flame Seedless Grapes Firm, large, and sweet the Flame Seedless are one of the most popular varieties in North America. Enjoy these out of hand or try them in green salads, chicken salads, or fruit salads.

A Note From Farmer Al

CSA, a Community?

Dear CSA Members, Saturday was a great day at the Ferry Building Farmers Market in San Francisco. First, a young farmer from a Marin farm I always trade with (our fruit for their delicious salad greens, turnips, cucumbers, etc.) came by early. He works in all aspects of their operations from growing to marketing, but now wants to expand and diversify his farming skills and experience. He asked me if there are any employment possibilities at Frog Hollow Farm. We talked quite a while and agreed to get him out to the farm for a visit. Later in the day, a man from Washington D.C. came by to purchase fruit and introduced himself as a loyal and ardent mail order customer who gets his fruit shipped through our on-line Mail Order Service. He originally found us several years ago on a previous visit to the Ferry Building Famers Market. At least three times during the course of the market people asked me if we could deliver CSA boxes of fruit to their offices. One was a lawyer working in a law firm with about 20 employees, and another was with a “start-up” company called Hampton Creek Foods. Then a regular customer, who is a physical therapist, came by and asked me how my shoulder is doing. I had rotator-cuff surgery last year which failed and we talked about how therapy might help…..! Then a chef with whom my wife worked years ago came by…. I hadn’t seen him in years. He works at the Metropolitan Club in San Francisco, which is where I first met Becky! Then a woman named Heather was with her parents and sister buying our fruit. We started chatting…turns out she and her partner are trying to make compost in Marin County. Long story….they’re trying to make it commercially) to sell to farmers, gardeners, etc. using food waste combined with shredded wood from tree services) but running into insurmountable regulatory obstacles, capitol costs, etc. We agreed to organize a visit to our farm for them to see our compost operation, exchange ideas, and explore future opportunities. These kinds of great connections happen to me at every farmers’ market I go to. It’s how I met Christophe and his wife, Monique, who are helping us create a truly great composting system which I believe will not only help to make Frog Hollow Farm more sustainable but will also make our fruit even more delicious then it already is! Great connections lead to great things! And it’s all about community. It’s my vision for our own CSA to create a community in which we can come together, get connected, share ideas, create great opportunities for our children, and speak with one powerful voice on important issues of our times! Let’s create a forum in our CSA community to do all that and more. But we need your help. Here at Frog Hollow Farm we are all working very hard just to grow this great fruit and get it to you. We will need some creative and skilled organizational and technical skills from you our members to help make this happen. Please let us hear from you! Farmer Al