THIS WEEK’S FRUIT
Valencia Oranges
Pleasant Valley Ranch, Springville, CA
Valencia Oranges are a late season orange known for their very sweet tasting and brightly colored juice. They are one of the most popular varieties used for bottled juices because of this. Their sweet, bright flavor and minimal seed content (1-6 per orange) make them perfect for out of hand eating too. Store out of sunlight for 2-4 days on the counter or up to two weeks in the fridge.
Ruby Grapefruit
Sundance Natural, Oceanside, CA
The Grapefruit is said to cross between the Jamaican sweet orange and the Indonesian pomelo, first documented in 1750. Red grapefruit was an accidental discovery of a red fruit growing on a pink grapefruit tree. They are prized for their beautiful color and sweet flesh. Store out of sunlight for 2-4 days on the counter or up to two weeks in the fridge.
Murcott Tangerines
Sundance Natural, Oceanside, CA
Murcott Tangerines are a late season tangerine known for their rich flavor and deeply hued flesh and juice. Their small size and sweet juice makes them a favorite with little ones.
Hass Avocado
Tomorrow’s Organic, Monterey, 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. Store on the counter out of direct sunlight.
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 May – 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 SARAH
I am just in from walking the orchard looking for the cherry and apricot set. All I can say is “oh, oh!” Now, far be it for me to claim I am anywhere near the expert Farmer Al, but I have been doing this for 30 years and what I am seeing out there is…… no cherries. Wahhhhhhhh! Keep your fingers crossed that I am totally wrong about our cherry crop. Once Farmer Al gets back from vacation, we’ll reassess the trees. I’m hoping I am wrong, wrong, wrong. How will I tell my eight year old there are no cherries??? The apricots, on the other hand, look good. Yaaaaayyyyy! Get ready for some tasty apricots to show up in your boxes soon. For those of you who think you don’t like apricots…just wait. Ours are different, I promise. My husband, Michael (who some of you know from the SF and Berkeley farmer’s markets), always claimed he didn’t like apricots but now LOVES Frog Hollow Farm apricots. Trust me, you will too.
Today brought a letter from our irrigation district with some alarming news. They’re warning us that they are being told by the State of California to prepare their members for the fact that in early June it is likely the “curtail water orders” will be issued to more junior pre-1914 water right holders. That would be us. Holy cow! This is terrifying and we are working on a strategic plan on how we will handle it if our water is cut. To be honest, I am in such a state of shock I don’t know what we will do or how; but we will because we HAVE to come up with some sort of a plan to keep the trees alive. I can pretty much promise you MY plan will include LOTS of rain dances and prayers to the rain Gods. We need some serious mojo to get the rains to come back to California!
Happy Easter/Passover to you.
Sarah