This Week’s Fruit

Crimson Lady Peaches Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA The Crimson Lady is one of the first peach varieties off the tree. It has a firm texture that is more springy than the meltingly juicy quality typical of our later season peaches. Golden Sweet Apricots Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA A smaller apricot that makes up for whatever it lacks in size with its rich flavor. Though we may bake pastries featuring other varieties, the Golden Sweet is our variety of choice for our best-selling apricot conserve. A California born and bred variety, it has a brilliant golden orange skin with a soft blush. Albion Strawberries Yerena Farm, Watsonville, CA The Albion is a newer variety strawberry developed at UC Davis. It is ever bearing and usually produces fruit June – October in the Bay Area. The sweet flavor and firm flesh makes the Albion an excellent dessert or preserving berry. Strawberry jam or pie anyone?

A Note from Farmer Al

Dear CSA Members, Cherries are done. And so ends the 2013 cherry season with a whimper! Alas, it was the lightest cherry crop ever here at Frog Hollow Farm in over 37 years of growing them. Every variety was down to less than half of last years’ crop which was itself nothing to write home about. Some farmers fear a long term downward trend in Cherry production here in Central California and even suggesting that global warming may be the reason. The physiology of the cherry tree is finely turned to a narrow range of environmental factors. One of the most important of these is Winter chill and consistent cold temperature in December, January and February. Winter chill for cherries (and all other stone fruit) is defined as hours of 45 degrees Fahrenheit down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Cherries need 1000 hours of temperatures in that very low range and these hours must occur between November 1 and February 28. The normal physiological development of viable flower buds must have this “winter chill” to occur. Historically, Brentwood has been one of the premier cherry growing regions in North America. I will never forget the story told by Clinton Smith, a very old farmer who was my closest neighbor when I bought my first 13 acres here in 1976. He had 20 acres of Bings, and he told me that he always sold the entire crop on January 1 of each year, being paid in full, in advance. His cherries were so predictable and of such high quality, that the buyer was willing to bear all the risk to guarantee getting those cherries. These days that will never happen. The quality of our cherries has been great. The Bings were brixing a phenomenal 30°+ which is “off the charts” sweet and with good acid balance for that great Bing flavor! I don’t eat others’ cherries, but yesterday at the Ferry Building farmers’ Market I was getting rave reviews all morning long: “We tried all the rest and yours are by far the best!” While the cherries are not abundant the apricots are making up for it and I’ve been enjoying “cots” like never before, consuming at least 1lb. of them each morning over cereal. And my new favorite evening appetizer is Robada apricots roasted with honey, then stuffed with goat cheese and sprinkled with cinnamon, basil and pistachios. Becky served it for lunch Sunday to a group of 26 Yoga aficionados here for yoga instruction and a walk through the orchard. They of course loved it too, so we’ll publish the recipe soon. We’re sure it will become a family favorite. Warm regards,