THIS WEEK’S FRUIT

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. 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. Warren Pears The Warren is to our pears as the Cal Red is to our peaches and the Flavor King to our pluots. This is Frog Hollow Farm’s signature pear and for good reason. Too difficult to grow for most farmers to consider it’s never caught on commercially but Farmer Al has never shied away from putting the time and effort into a fruit that tastes so good. It has a classic European texture, very soft and juicy with a silky sweetness that avoids the typical grittiness found in most pears. 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. Muscat Grapes The Muscat family is among the oldest of grape varieties. A gorgeous green to golden blush color gives way to a perfumey and sweet flavor. These grapes have seeds but the flavor is worth the effort.

A Note From Sarah

Dear CSA Members, September… Ahhhh, that’s how I feel when I flip the page of the calendar to “September”. For me it’s the time of year “the Magic of Frog Hollow” begins… It signifies for us on the Farm a slow down. It means peaches are gone and we’re moving into pear and apple season. It’s a slower pace and that means there’s time to enjoy the Farm in a different way. There’s time to go for a walk before or after lunch and there’s time to take notice of the changes that are happening in the orchard. Leaves are yellowing, grasses are brown, shadows are longer and there’s a different feel to the air. It’s Fall! This is my most favorite time of year on Frog Hollow Farm. I love the post harvest feeling of accomplishment. The knowledge that we’ve done it again, sold everything on the trees, and can start to look towards the “down” time. It’s time to get ground work done before it starts to rain, fertilize and replenish what the harvest took from the soil. Fall on the Farm is what I like to call “civilized”. There isn’t the mad rush to get the harvest in and sold before we lose it. It’s more of a gentleman’s (or gentlewoman, in my case) pace. There’s still a lot of work to get done before winter sets in, but the sense of urgency is more calm and relaxed. It’s magical and mesmerizing to have time to breathe and watch bunnies hop through the orchard and hawks soar above in the blue skies… I hope everyone is able to come to our Fall Harvest Festival on October 14th and experience what I’m talking about.