Clik here to view.
Miranda Rights
By Heidi Lewis Pineapples (Ananas comosus) will be making their first appearance of the year in most FruitGuys cases this week—as a way to spice up the mid-winter variety. When you pick up a pineapple,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Red Beaut Plum
Beauty, but friends call it “Beaut” for short, is an early smooth red plum with yellow flesh. Good plum to know on a first name basis.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spotlight on the Understudies
By Heidi Lewis “The show must go on!” is the biggest trope in theater. Some movies about theater, from All About Eve to The Little Rascals to Waiting for Guffman, have great nail-biting third acts. Yet...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“Beulah, peel me a grape…”
By Gretchen Bay Most FruitGuys cases this week will feature red or green grapes from environs south. Grapes come in many flavors and forms, both with and without seeds. In The FruitGuys’ world, we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Spring Brings
By Roxanne Crittenden, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Even though I grew up here in California, I find the cycles of abundance and scarcity here a little surprising. In a Mediterranean climate like...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Help Wanted: Pollinators
By Heidi Lewis It’s spring. Blossoms are abundant. Time to get pollinating in the fruit orchards. But since colony collapse disorder has been decimating the honeybee population, we’ll have to look...
View ArticleClik here to view.
April is the Not-So-Nicest Month
By Heidi Lewis The National Cherry Blossom Festival was recently held in Washington, D.C. This year’s festival commemorated the centennial of Japan’s gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the U.S. in 1912. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
April Field Notes
From Riverdog Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop 4/2/12 It’s getting close to tomato transplanting time. The plants, all 80,000 (about 9 acres) of the first seeding, have been ready to go from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Earl of Sandwiches
By Heidi Lewis “The doctor will see you now,” said the nurse pityingly. “What seems to be the trouble?” the doc asked without looking up. When greeted with silence, she swiveled around. “Oh!” the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring Swooning for Summer Fruit
By Heidi Lewis Here they come, rolling into town— They get the hungriest looks from, everyone around— [drum fill…] Hey, hey, they’re the summer fruits! And they’re super duper cute! It may not quite be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using Cilantro In The Kitchen
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Although cilantro is often eaten with summer crops like tomatoes, it is a cool season crop available from the Capay Valley in the fall, winter and spring. It goes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Warm Greens Salad with Grapefruit
Recipe by Delilah’s Farm for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 4 cups hearty greens (chard, kale, collards), cleaned, heavy stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons coarsely...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Baby Carrots
Not just little bunnies love baby carrots. Ideal for dipping or snacking on raw. Carrot seeds are super tiny and so are broadcast over the seedbed. Many carrots will grow in a crowd and need to be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Albion Strawberry
Albion strawberries are the variety that put strawberries front and center in terms of market and availability. This vigorous and big berry has made it possible to have strawberries more often...
View ArticleClik here to view.
March: The Fickle Season
By Heidi Lewis How’s the old saying go again? “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”? Or is it the other way around? March’s seasonal unpredictability requires farmers to be prepared for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mustard Greens
From the same plant that gives us mustard seeds, antioxidant-rich mustard greens help lower cholesterol and are off the charts in vitamins A and K. Often described as “spunky” or “piquant”, mustard...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s in Season April 2013
A preview of what regional farms will be harvesting in the coming month, from The FruitGuys produce buyers. To see what’s being delivered this week, visit fruitguys.com/mix and choose your region or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lemon Lavender Soda Bread
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 4 tablespoons lavender buds 2 tablespoons...
View ArticleClik here to view.
B-rrring! It’s Spring
By Heidi Lewis The cuckoo clock at the Greenwich Mean Time offices popped its head out at 11:02 a.m. on March 20, letting all us inside people know that it’s officially spring. For the outside world,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring Veggies with Lemony-Dill Sauce
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 1 bunch broccolini, stalks separated, but left whole 2 yellow squash, sliced into bite-sized rounds (approx. 1/2-inch thick) Juice of one lemon...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Asparagus and Hearty Greens Soup
Recipe by Delilah’s Farm for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 2 cups asparagus (cut off and discard woody end) cut into 1-inch pieces (set aside the tips) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 head green garlic,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blue Velvet Apricot
Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams” haunts David Lynch’s neo-noir movie more than the title song, Blue Velvet. The Blue Velvet is actually an aprium, which is a plum and apricot hybrid. One bite of this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blackberry
Blackberry thumb is what some call the malady of too much texting. [:-(] At the Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego the theme was “The Attention Economy,” Linda Stone spoke of a “continuous...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Korean Melon
A sunburst of yellow. This melon’s skin is tender – so handle with care. Peel with peeler, slice and remove seeds from cavity, cut into thin slices. Superbly refreshing. Not the same melon used for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Peppercress
Shhh… It’s a weed. Of the Lepididium variety. Except this peppercress has been lovingly and carefully cultivated for the table. Spicy (as its name indicates) and delicate like watercress.
View ArticleCandycot
Candycots come from the Britton & Konynenburt Family Farms. “By breeding with seeds from the very best apricots in the world, we have created a new class of apricots. Called CandyCots, these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spinach & Asparagus Pasta Salad
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 1 large bunch asparagus, cut in 1″ lengths 2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste 3/4 lb uncooked penne or other pasta shape 2 green...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Miso Soup With Tokyo Turnips
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 1 bunch Tokyo turnips, greens removed, chopped & rinsed 1/3 cup Miso 4-6 cup water 4 oz Soba noodles (optional) PREPARATION Trim and wash the turnips,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Citrus Braised Artichokes
Recipe by Delilah’s Farm for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 2 artichokes 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon or orange juice 1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock 1 teaspoon citrus zest 1 teaspoon finely chopped...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zucchini Ribbon Salad
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into ribbons (about 3 cups) 2–3 medium beets, roasted and cut into bite-size wedges 2–3 shallots, minced 1 cup...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pixies and the Full Moon Fairy
By Heidi Lewis Springtime mandarin season makes me think of the Full Moon Fairy. I first heard about her when my daughter came home from kindergarten and announced that a fairy would be visiting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brooks Cherries
In the American cherry world everything comes after the Bing. And the wingman to the Bing is the Brooks – a headliner in its own right, a sweet early cherry.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dandelion Green Pesto
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s blog at davidlebovitz.com; courtesy of Riverdog Farm & Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 3/4 bunch dandelion greens, rinsed and stems trimmed 1/2 cup olive oil 2-3...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Apple Blossom Time-Lapse
Hale Farm – Fuji apple blossoms By Heidi Lewis 1913 was a crazy time. It was the year Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky staged the ballet The Rite of Spring. Nowadays, we are accustomed to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s in Season May 2013
Here’s a preview of what regional farms will be harvesting in May, from The FruitGuys produce buyers. To see what’s being delivered this week, visit fruitguys.com/mix and choose your region. West On...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cooking Ideas For Cilantro
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Although cilantro is often eaten with summer crops like tomatoes, it is a cool season crop available from the Capay Valley in the spring. It goes especially well with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cooking Ideas For Sugar Snap Peas
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Sugar snap peas are a sweet, crunchy snack, just as they are! The shells and all can be eaten, end to end. You can pop them in your lunch or keep them at your desk...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Strawberry Patch
By Reed Adam, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop On a warm June day, the aroma from field of sweet peas behind the T and Y Strawberry Patch, located just west of Woodland on Highway 16, is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Simmered Leeks
Adapted from food.com INGREDIENTS 1–2 large leeks 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, to taste 1–2 tablespoons butter 1/2–3/4 cup vegetable broth PREPARATION Carefully...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grilled Asparagus With Arugula Pesto
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 1- 1 1/2 bunches green asparagus 1 bunch arugula Parmesan cheese, cut in 1-inch super thin strips Extra Kalamata olives chopped Lime PREPARATION Blanche...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Our Spring
by Jeff Main of Good Humus Farm, Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Image courtesy of Good Humus Produce With the passing of the equinox a few weeks ago, and all the warmth and wetness of the last week...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fresh Fava Salad
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 1 pound fresh fava beans 1 head green garlic, minced 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed, and chopped into 1-inch pieces 2 carrots, thinly sliced on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Benton Cherries
Benton is a registered trademark name for a dark red cherry that ripens the same time as the Bing – “rounda ’bouta bing” you might say. It is a large, sweet cherry.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Easy Rhubarb Cake
Recipe by Delilah’s Farm for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 2 cups rhubarb, washed well and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 to 1-1/4 cups natural cane sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour (or white whole-wheat flour) 1...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s in Season June 2013
Here’s a preview of what regional farms will be harvesting in June, from The FruitGuys produce buyers. To see what’s being delivered this week, visit fruitguys.com/mix and choose your region. Remember...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring Toastie with Herbed Goat Cheese
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup radishes, very thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick, or thinner if you have a mandoline slicer) 1 cup lettuce, torn into large pieces 1/2 cup...
View ArticleCarolina Gold Tomato
A unique tomato, this golden orb can be large. Flavorful and fruity, this wonderful tomato is low in a acid, which can be a great benefit to those who have to avoid regular red tomatoes.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Garlic Scapes
In spring, the garlic plant’s head looks like a fountain pen tip leading the long stem in twirls and loops like it’s scribbling or chasing a bee. Farmers trim the stems called scapes for a blissfully...
View ArticleBlack Beaut Plum
Similar to the Red Beauty, the Black Beaut is a Santa Rosa style round plum. This plum has deep dark – almost black skin with bright red flesh.
View ArticleClik here to view.
Strawberry Alarm Clock
Timeline of our favorite berry By Heidi Lewis Today’s strawberry, Fragaria ananassa, with its large, practically perfect berries is the culmination of selective breeding going back centuries to when...
View Article
