Fruits
Other Products Available: Vegetables | Other Items
Seasonal Highlights:
January: Lemons, limes, apples
February: Naval Oranges, kiwi, apples
March: Apples, Avocadoes, kiwi
April: Strawberries, Apples, Avocadoes
May: Cherries and raspberries
June: Blueberries and apricots
July: Peaches, blackberries, plums
August: Peaches, nectarines
September: Apples, peaches, nectarines, grapes
October: grapes, asian pears, pomegranates,
November: fuyu persimmons, apples, Avocadoes
December: Satsuma mandarins, kiwi
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Smit Ranch, Clements
 Another great find within a 40-mile drive from home, I discover Glazien Smit and her husband, originally from Holland. They bought their 70-acre property over 30 years ago and originally planted in apples conventionally, they converted 100 percent of the orchard to organics over 8 years ago. Motivated, Glazien tells me, by her conscience and responsibility to their farm workers, their health and longevity, and out of peace of a mind knowing that their workers will live to see their children grow up.
They grow Granny Smith, Fuji and Pink Lady apples, cherries, peaches and table grapes. Once again traveling down the back-roads searching for their place, I grinned as I came upon a clearly different oasis of green and diversity compared to the land on either side of the road devoted to one crop, wine grapes. They also feature frozen, fresh, un-pasteurized apple juice. If you are interested please let us know … they come in quart, half gallon and gallon containers.
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Tyson Hill Farm, Waterford
 It is so fascinating to discover on one’s doorstep farmers that have been growing and preserving the art of organic farming for more than 50 years. The Tyson’s are a third generation family farm, whose grandparents were proponents of the original forefather of organic farming in the US, Dr Rodale. They planted an orchard in the 1950s with various plantings of almonds and fruit trees. Today, Indira and her family run the farm without any help from laborers. On my first visit to the Tyson Hill Farm, it wasn’t hard to separate the “organicness” from the conventional farms surrounding this oasis. The fruit trees (of which there are many: nectarines, peaches, plums, cherries, pineapple guava, grapes, persimmons and almonds) are neck high in grass and weeds (a nightmare for any conventional farmer). After a long summer of harvest I was surprised to see such enthusiasm and warmth from this family who must work endless hours to keep these very weeds down during the summer months without resorting to herbicides at all. Their fruit is top quality and they sell at the Modesto and Sonora Farmers Market. We hope that they will have enough to supply the Murphys Farmers Market next summer. During the winter months, the fruits of the summer are available in dried form….Outer Aisle FOODS carries this product.
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Brenner Ranch, Newcastle
 Jim Brenner is the kind of guy that has been on the ranch his whole life. I haven't asked him if that's true, but it's the way he lugs around a 40 lb box of kiwifruit and surveys his beautiful piece of land, certain that everything will be done in it's own time. The kiwi vines are gorgeous, I've only seen them when the leaves are turning and dropping to the ground, but can imagine how heavy with fruit in the fall these thick vines get. I'm a little jealous coming from Kiwi land, where the fruit is named after the people, or is that the other way around? Our winters are a little too chill for growing kiwi and other citrus, but out here in the hinterlands of Sacramento the climate is perfect. His kiwi, mandarins and blueberries are certified organic.
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Recipe:
Winter Squash, Fennel
and Green Apple Soup
by Kathryn Lukas
This is an elegant way to start your winter meal. Light and palate cleansing, it helps make way for what lies ahead. All of the ingredients are in season and most can be found in your box this time.
Servings: 6
1 teaspoon toasted ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
½ med. fennel bulb with frilly greens too, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 Granny Smith apple, one peeled and cubed, onefor garnish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound winter squash, preferably kabocha or delicata, peeled, seeded and cubed (3 cups)
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
pinch cayenne
Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the cubed apple, garlic and ground fennel seed and sauté another 5 minutes.
Add the squash cubes and stock. Turn up the heat and cover. When the liquid reaches a boil, add the salt, lower the heat to a simmer and partially cover. Cook 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender.
Puree the soup in batches, making sure not to fill the blender more than halfway. Return the soup to the pot and add more salt to taste, black pepper and cayenne.
Make apple matchsticks for garnish: Cut an unpeeled apple into thin slabs on both sides of the core. Pile the slabs and cut crosswise into thin matchsticks. The little pieces of skin left at the tip resemble the tips of matches. You can make the matchsticks ahead and toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
Serve garnished with apple matchsticks.
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Eric’s Nut Butter Salad Dressing
Simply delicious and nutritious
¾ cup Olive Oil
Juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup of nut butter (almond/peanut)
1 TSP Tamari (or soy sauce)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 TSP water
3 TSP honey
Combine well in a blender.
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