By Gretchen Bay

As the summer solstice draws nigh, visions of beautiful white orbs are starting to dance in the minds of fruit lovers everywhere. Are these spheres celestial bodies, aligning for the dawn of a new season? No! They’re delicious white peaches and nectarines that have started appearing in The FruitGuys’ fruit crates!

These white-fleshed beauties have long been a favorite among home gardeners, but they didn’t start to make their way into commercial production until the 1980s because they were simply too delicate to ship. Years of cultivation and experimentation with natural growing methods finally yielded varieties that were hardy enough to travel but that maintained the superb flavor and sweetness of their more fragile ancestors.

White peaches and nectarines are typically sweeter than their yellow counterparts because they have lower acidity and therefore lack the “tang” of the yellow-fleshed varieties.

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.

Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch kale, stems removed, roughly chopped or torn (about 5–6 cups loosely packed)
1/2 cup olive oil
2–3 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered (or 5–6 garlic scapes)
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until mostly smooth with the nuts and greens minced and all other ingredients well mixed.
• Use as you would a basil pesto.
• It’s great tossed with pasta, on top of crostini, in salad dressings, mixed into soup and rice dishes, etc.

Serves 4–6 as a sauce. Prep time, 10 minutes

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
1 head of radicchio
Salad greens, 5–6 cups loosely packed
Segments from 2 tangerines or 1 sweet orange
1 large shallot or 2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil (plus more to brush on radicchio)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar (optional, if a sweeter dressing is preferred)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION

• Combine shallots or garlic, thyme (if using), olive oil, vinegar, honey or agave (if using), salt, and pepper in a food processor (or shake well in an air-tight container to emulsify).
• While dressing marinates, preheat grill (outdoor or stovetop) to medium-high.
• Cut radicchio into quarters, trying to keep each section in one piece, and brush sections with olive oil.
• If using an outdoor grill, you may need a grill basket if leaves are loose.
• Grill radicchio quarters, turning occasionally, until the outside leaves start to brown, about 3–5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and roughly chop.
• In a large salad bowl, toss fresh salad greens with enough dressing to lightly coat.
• Separate onto 2 plates and top with equal portions of warm grilled arugula and citrus segments.

Makes 2 large salads. Prep time, 10–15 minutes; cook time, 5 minutes.

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
4–5 cups collard greens (or other hearty greens), stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/2–3/4 cup garlic scapes, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pecans or pistachio nuts (you may try other nuts too, but these pair really nicely with the garlic scapes)
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Wash greens well.
• Blanch or steam greens for 1 minute, or until leaves just start to wilt.
• Remove from heat and immediately rinse in cold water and drain.
• Gently blot or squeeze out any excess moisture.
• Add wilted greens to a food processor with all other ingredients.
• Process until smooth, adding an additional bit of olive oil or water as necessary.
• Pesto should be thick but just pourable.

Yields 1–1 1/2 cups. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 1 minute.

Recipe courtesy of Delilah’s Farm

INGREDIENTS
2 peaches or nectarines, or 4 plums cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 slices of bread, preferably whole grain
4 slices of white cheddar or brie, or 6 oz. of chèvre
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mustard of your choice (optional)
Butter (soft) or vegetable oil for the bread

PREPARATION

• Heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
• Brush fruit lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place in pan and cook for about 30 seconds per side, then remove and reduce heat to medium.
• If using mustard, spread on two slices of the bread.
• Divide cheese between the two slices and top with sliced fruit and the other two slices of bread.
• Spread butter on the outsides of all slices or brush with oil.
• Place sandwiches in pan and cook until browned and cheese is melted, about 2–3 minutes per side.

Serves 2. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 5 minutes.

Cook’s note: You can also make these in a panini press or on an outdoor grill.

By Seth Wright, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

It has been an unusually hot and dry spring here in the Capay Valley.  The rain, which usually occurs from January until the end March, never really materialized.  There have been many beautiful sunny, warm and cloudless days this spring. We valley dwellers have even endured a few of those oppressively hot 100-degree days. That kind of heat usually does not set in until late June.

Some crops here in the valley have benefited from this premature heat. Melons are one good example.  Ideally melons need about 75 to 100 days of sun and warmth to produce lots of excellent fruit. Due to the warm spring here in the Valley, I had my first taste of Goddess melon (which is similar to cantaloupe in flavor and appearance) just this past weekend. It was sweet, delicious, and fragrant. If this heat keeps up there should be a bountiful melon harvest this year.

Speaking of bountiful harvests, stone fruit such as peaches and apricots are also ripening quickly. According to Nikki, Farm Shop Ordering Manager and farm liaison, two Capay Valley farms, Good Humus Produce and Manas Ranch, have been “picking like crazy” to keep up with the rapidly ripening fruit.

Even though warm weather is good for ripening stone fruit, temperatures over 100 degrees can be damaging. According to Annie Main, farmer and co-owner of Good Humus Produce with her husband Jeff, “when it gets that hot, (temperatures in excess of 100 degrees), the apricots can get a bit cooked right around the pit, causing a ‘pit burn’. The only time you can tell if it has pit burn is when you open it up and see a brownish color around the pit. It isn’t bad to eat, as it is just a bit cooked, but the fruit will break down pretty fast, and it doesn’t look to pretty either.” Annie also noted that the apricot crop was “nice” this year and I couldn’t agree more.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Royal Blenheim apricots from Good Humus last week.  Hopefully, you did too.

Figs grown here in the valley have also benefited from this year’s early heat.  In a recent article written by the Sacramento Bee, Capay Valley farmer Mike Motroni stated that he expected his first crop of ripe figs right around the 15th of June. The heat, however, has caused his figs to ripen up just a little more quickly than he expected. If you are a Bushel customer, you will get your first taste of his figs this week.

Of course for other crops, this heat can be disastrous. I am lamenting the loss of strawberries. The premature heat spell has sucked the life out of them and they are no longer producing flavorful fruit. I have been told that in past years they are typically harvested until the end of June. Harvesting of asparagus, my favorite vegetable, has also ended for the year.  It is just too hot and dry for the plant to keep producing an excellent vegetable.

It is not for me to judge whether this unusual heat is a good or a bad thing, but I will say this:  it has given me, and hopefully you too, a lot to look forward to eating and enjoying this summer.

Closely related to fennel and parsley, the carrot is an aromatic vegetable. Its combination with celery and onion in mirepoix (a combination of 25% chopped carrots, 25% chopped celery and 50% chopped onions used to add flavor and aroma to stocks, sauces, soups, etc.) is the flavor foundation for many dishes.  Use the green carrot tops in stock as well.

Sweet bell pepper, its seeds hail from Italy. Great for roasting. Roast over a grill or gas flame till charred, turning with tongs. Place in plastic bag to “sweat”, and then rub off charred skin.

A Tornado Strikes
At 2:56 pm, Monday, 20 May 2013, an F5 category tornado touched down west of Newcastle, Oklahoma, and headed toward the town of Moore. The tornado stayed on the ground for 39 minutes and covered a span of 17 miles.  At its peak, the tornado was 1.3 miles wide. In its aftermath, 24 people were found dead, 377 were injured, and thousands of homes had been abolished.

People Respond
Within 24 hours of the tornado, action was taken in Chicago to round up donations of a 50 foot refrigerated truck, a driver, and over 20 pallets of produce to help aid in the relief efforts in Moore, Oklahoma. This documents the journey from the Chicago International Produce Market to Moore, Oklahoma, and the impact made as a result of the donations.

To Market, To Market
Market hours start early, so off we were, arriving at the market at 4:30 am Friday, May 24th, to round up donations and load them on the 52-foot refrigerated truck, which was donated from Xtra Lease. There’s something exciting about being in the market in the wee hours of the morning, looking out at the Chicago skyline before the rest of town is even up!

L-R: Driver Joe Denny and his wife Angie, FruitGuys’ Meta and her daughter KeAndrea Dunn, and Brad Westrom of United Express and his wife Jan

Thanks to all who donated!
Anthony Marano & Sons
Atom Banana
City Wide Produce Distributors
Corneille & Sons
Evergreen Produce
J.A.B. Produce
Kolodenko
La Galera
Navilio & Sons
Olympic
Panama
Strube
The FruitGuys
Tuchten

Additional donations of books, clothes, toiletries, and other supplies came from:
Christian Life Church
Ba’Ruch Ministries
Mount Prospect Public Library
St. Alphonsus Catholic School, Chicago, Illinois
Wanda Leopold of Organic Network

The Journey Begins From Chicago to Moore
We caught a few sites along the way, mainly from the car window, and met the truck in Oklahoma City.

The produce filled most of the cooler at the Feed The Children warehouse. Thankfully, most of it was removed the same day and delivered to local churches and organizations who were providing relief to survivors of the tornado. Much thanks goes to Kirk from Feed The Children for his help in unloading, re-loading, and distributing the produce to the community.

Meta and volunteer Jerry of OKC Trinity Church of the Nazarene

While on a lunch break, KeAndrea and I ran into Doug Runyan of OKC Trinity Church of the Nazarene.  Several donations were dropped at his church, and then we connected with a few other Nazarene churches who were also providing relief efforts. Dough, his staff and volunteers, especially Jerry, made connections and provided critical assistance with getting some of the donations to where they were desperately needed. Thanks to Todd and Stacy, volunteers at OKC Compassion, for helping bring donations to the shelter.

Mission U-Too, a church group from Texas, was stationed at the Moore Nazarene church, cooking food for surviors and relief workers, providing support on site as well as sending out vehicles into the surrounding area. With the donations we brough, fresh fruit was added to the meals people received!

75 percent of the donations were delivered on day one of our arrival to Oklahoma City!
With the hard work of the staff at Feed The Children in collaboration with the Oklahoma City Regional Food Bank, as well as the connections KeAndrea and I made with the Church of the Nazarene, we were able to get a majority of the donations into the hands of organizations who were providing relief to those in Moore, Oklahoma, on the first day of our arrival. Continued work was done by Feed the Children to ensure that all donations were delivered to areas of need throughout the following week.

Relief Efforts Extend Beyond Produce
Food, supplies, and clean up efforts were the most pressing needs at the time of arrival.  Once produce donations were handed out for the day, we began work ensuring people were taken care of. Clean up and restoration will take months, even years.  Support in the initial efforts were greatly appreciated.  Continued support via donations and physical labor will be needed for the long run.

Mass Chaos in Suburbia
Roofs and housing materials littered the ground and vehicles were piled on top.

Damage to Homes Varied Block by Block
Some families were fortunate, their homes were left standing. Other families were not so lucky.

Despite the destruction and loss, some were able to maintain a sense of humor.  The sign on the left says “House for Sale. Price Reduced. Some Assembly Required”.  The house on the right has a sign saying “Open House”.

Whole Neighborhoods Destroyed
One entire neighborhood was in shambles. One day, bustling with families and life, and the next filled with rubble and stragglers trying to pick up the pieces. Gas stations, schools, administrative centers, and small businesses were not spared from the wrath of the tornado.

Only Remnants Remain
Amongst the rubble, you could find traces of life—bicycles, swimming pools, toys, books, and clothes. Cars and trucks were thrown about during the 200+ mph winds of the storm. Some homes even had cars crashed into them. Pieces of what once was, never to be the same again. One can only hope that in time, the lives will be restored and the families will grow stronger than before.

Support and Clean Up Efforts In Full Force
Dumpsters upon dumpsters were lined up in communities. The power company was working around the clock restoring lines, brining power to communities who’d been without electricity for days. An outpouring of support came from people and organizations throughout the United States. Mission U-Too from Bastrop, Texas, joined with the Moore Church of Nazarene to provide warm meals to residents and relief workers.  Many other groups from OK and other states were doing similar work throughout the area. Their services were greatly appreciated.

In addition to helping get the produce donations to the areas of need, Feed The Children also held a supplies giveaway event at a local community college on Sunday, May 26th. Much needed supplies, such as shovels, gloves, laundry detergent, food, baby supplies, and much more were on hand for residents to load up on.  Others were sent out to the community to help distribute the supplies to those who were cleaning up in the community.

Thanks to all for their generous donations and support. Lives were impacted, people were changed.

You matter!
 

Adapted from seriouseats.com

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch asparagus, cut ends snapped off
1–2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 drops chili oil (or a pinch cayenne powder)
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted if preferred)

PREPARATION

• Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces on the diagonal.
• Bring a pot of water to boil.
• Cook asparagus 1  1/2 to 2 minutes or until just tender.
• Drain and place in ice bath for 3 minutes.
• Drain and gently pat asparagus dry.
• In a bowl, combine scallions (if using) with soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili oil (or cayenne).
• Add asparagus and toss to combine.
• Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Serves 2. Prep time, 5 minutes; cook time, 10–15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

• Before chopping snap peas, pull on stem end to remove stem and string from each pea.
• Toss fresh snap peas with sesame oil, basil and/or garlic (if using), then top with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Serves 2–3 as an appetizer or side. Prep time, 5–10 minutes.

Also called green onions, scallions are a milder member of the allium family, which includes onions and garlic. After trimming off the root tips of the white ends, both the white base and hollow green stalks can be chopped and added to a wide variety of foods, from egg dishes to stir-fries to pizza and more. The dark green ends are delicious chopped and added raw to salads and grain or rice dishes.

INGREDIENTS
2–3 medium summer squash (such as zucchini, pattypan, crookneck, etc.), sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2–3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2–3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Salt to taste

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place a layer of summer squash slices at the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish and lightly drizzle with a tablespoon of melted butter.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of freshly cut basil on top and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
• Create another layer or 2, drizzling each with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and sprinkling with 1/4 cup of fresh basil and salt.
• Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from the oven and serve hot as a side dish.

Serves 2–3. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 20–30 minutes.

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
1 cup English peas, shelled (see Cook’s note)
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint or basil leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• In a small skillet or frying pan, sauté onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
• When onion is soft, remove pan from heat and stir in fresh shelled peas.
• Stir well to combine (30 seconds is fine), then scrape mixture into a food processor.
• Add the fresh herbs, a pinch of salt, and 2 teaspoons of water.
• Blend until mixture is creamy and spreadable (you may also hand-mash with a fork or potato masher).
• Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy on your favorite crusty bread or tossed with pasta (it’s also a great ravioli filling!).

Serves 2. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 5-7 minutes.

Cook’s note: To shell the peas—break off the stem end, and pull the “string” down the length of the pod. Press opposite the seams to open, and push out the peas. Discard pods, stems, and strings. Rinse and drain shelled peas.

I participate in a national group that for the past few years has worked to develop policy and action recommendations for food and agriculture.  The group includes people from various parts of the food chain, and it has been clear from the start that while there are many interesting discussions taking place, most of the participants view the practices of organic agriculture as a “niche” or “boutique” part of farming, rather than potentially game-changing solutions to the many challenges faced by the world’s increasing population.  When it comes to addressing the converging and increasingly pressing challenges of hunger, poor water quality and climate change, the proponents of chemicals, monoculture and an industrialized-type approach to farming are well represented.

In part because of my participation in these discussions, I was especially interested in a recently published report about an experiment that was started all the way back in 1998, called the “Long Term Agroecological Research Experiment,” one of the longest running comparisons of organic and conventional agriculture in the U.S. In a nutshell, the  study concludes that producers making the switch to organic crops not only fetch premium prices, they also build healthy soil and sequester carbon, making organic agriculture a useful strategy for dealing with climate change.

“Farmers interested in transitioning to organic production will be happy to see that, with good management, yields can be the same, with potentially higher returns and better soil quality,” said Kathleen Delate, agronomy and horticulture professor at Iowa State University, who leads the project.

The experiment is located on 17 acres at the Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farm near Greenfield. The project compared four crop rotations using identical varieties that are repeated four times in 44 plots. The conventional rotation received synthetic nitrogen, herbicides and insecticides at recommended rates. The organic corn plots received composted manure from a local chicken operation. Weeds were managed by timely tillage, longer crop rotations and cover crops.

The study found that soils in the organic plots (three- and four-year rotations of corn, soybean, oats and alfalfa) had significantly higher quality compared to the plots using a conventional two-year rotation of corn and soybeans. The organic plots had up to 40 percent more biologically-active soil organic matter, which is important for fertility and nutrient availability. Organic soils also had lower acidity and higher amounts of carbon, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and calcium.

Healthy soils hold more water and improve water infiltration, increasing a farm’s resiliency to drought, heavy rainfall and extreme weather events. Farming practices that build soil health also increase carbon storage in soil, called carbon sequestration, which buffers climate change and contributes to better water quality.

Project investigators gathered data on yields and economic viability: Corn and soybean yields were statistically equivalent in the organic and conventional systems during both the transitional phase (1998-2001) and established phase (2002-2010) of the experiment. Yields for organic oats and alfalfa exceeded county averages.

Based on plot-level data, the economic analysis showed that the organic crops fetched roughly $200 more per acre over the 13 years of the study because of premium market prices and reduced input costs. In 2010, for example, an acre of land planted with the four-year organic rotation returned $510, while an acre planted with conventional corn-soybean returned $351.

On average, labor requirements doubled for the organic systems. There was no significant difference in the number of crop pests. The results suggest that skilled management practices can overcome the need for synthetic inputs.

Recipe for The FruitGuys by Rebecca Dienner

INGREDIENTS
4 cups fresh spinach, well-washed, de-stemmed, and roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes (32-ounce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup mushrooms, sliced about 1/8-inch thick (optional)
Olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1 tablespoon each of fresh oregano, fresh parsley, and fresh thyme, minced (if fresh is unavailable, use 1 teaspoon each of dried, and add in with the tomatoes)
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (9-ounce)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (see Cook’s note for vegan option)
1 container ricotta cheese (15-ounce)
1 egg
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
• Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup red wine.
• Add canned tomato and tomato paste.
• Mix in 1 teaspoon salt, lower heat, and cook sauce for 15 minutes, stirring often.
• Add fresh herbs and adjust salt to taste. Remove from heat and let cool.
• If using mushrooms: In a fresh skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
• Add sliced mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir frequently and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, stir egg in with ricotta, remaining salt, and lemon zest.
• Place about 1/4 cup tomato sauce to lightly cover the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan or dish.
• Lay lasagna noodles down to cover the bottom, then add a layer of the ricotta mixture, half of the spinach, and half of the mushrooms (if using).
• Repeat starting with another 1/4 cup marinara, noodles, ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms.
• Add a final layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, and cover with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• (If doing the vegan version, you may leave the top with just the marinara, or if there’s extra “ricotta,” distribute it evenly on top as best you can.
• Cover loosely with tinfoil and bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove tinfoil and bake for another 10 minutes or until bubbly and just starting to brown.
• Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 6–8 as a main dish. Prep time, 30 minutes; cook time, 45 minutes.

Cook’s note: For vegan option, omit egg and cheese.

• Boil 1/2 cup raw cashews in 2 cups of water until soft, about 2 minutes.
• Drain cashews and blend in a high-speed blender with 1/4 cup lemon juice until mostly smooth.
• Crumble and mash 14 ounces of firm tofu in a bowl.
• Mix in 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, zest of one lemon, and blended cashews.
• Use in place of ricotta cheese in this recipe.

Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 lb spinach, rinsed and chopped, stems included but separate
Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt.
• Saute the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, about three minutes.
• Add the spinach stems and saute another minute before adding the remaining butter and spinach leaves.
• Stir well and cook 2 more minutes until the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms tender.
• Serve on its own as a side dish or on toast with egg for breakfast or brunch.

Adapted from Cucina Rustica by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

INGREDIENTS
1 lb fresh zucchini
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated romano cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 large basil leaves, torn

PREPARATION

• Wash the zucchini and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
• In a large sauté pan, heat the oil.
• Add the zucchini and toss them over high heat until they are tender but slightly crisp.
• In the final minute of cooking add the garlic and stir in with the zucchini.
• Turn the heat off and toss with the cheese, salt and pepper.
• Scatter the basil over the top.

Karinata’s curly, almost purple dark green leaves are full of hi-octane kale power. Trim the leafy part away from stems for tender greens. Chop the stems for sauté or use in soup stock. A diet including Kale and its cruciferous vegetable sisters is attributed to lower cancer rates.

By Heidi Lewis

Robots are already a part of everyday life—Siri can call your mom for you, and robotic vacuums clean and entertain your cat while you’re away. Artificial intelligence guides many appliances, and robots do the heavy lifting and repetitive tasks of manufacturing. Robot designers are working fast and furious to close the gap on the human-like skills needed for us to have a C-3PO-style ’droid or a Jetson’s Rosie in our employ. But the future is still a ways off, as one of the greatest challenges for robots is touch.

Take into account and appreciate your brilliant human senses when you pick up one of the season’s first apricots. At what point in the distant future will a robot be able to lift it from the fruit crate with care, like an egg? To grip it without bruising it, measuring its ripeness? To squeeze it gently, sensing if the interior fruit has pulled away from the pit? To hold its baby skin delicately in a tripod of digits, admiring its pastel form and computing the thought, “Ah, the first stone fruits of summer”?

Apricots are the babies of the stone fruit season—the first to arrive and the softest, cutest, and often most delicate of the spring/summer term. Their downy fuzz and sweet aroma could melt even a robot’s metal heart. And if your robot someday hands you a fresh apricot, no need to fuss—a simple “domo arigato, Mr. Roboto” will do.

Recipe by Rebecca North for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
Baby or new potatoes
Olive oil or Earth Balance
Malt vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Sea Salt

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Scrub potatoes gently, leaving skins on, then coat with olive oil or Earth Balance.
• Bake for 45–60 minutes or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and fork-tender on the inside.
• Drizzle generously with malt vinegar or rice wine vinegar and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Serve and enjoy!

Prep time, 5 minutes; cook time, 45–60 minutes.

No, not a new lip stick color… it’s a great flavored tomato. A “cluster” tomato, growing on a vine – the dark maroon skin color draws the heat of the sun, concentrating its flavor.

Chives, the baby of the onion family are essentially onion grass, organically grown.. Chopped finely, the vibrant green little rings of the hollow stem add pizzazz to any dish.

Purple puffs puff. How preposterous their purple heads float on the chive stem, looking like lollipops. Oniony lollipops that is. Yes, these blooms are pretty and edible. The blossoms have a flavor similar to the chives themselves — try on a salad or in an omelette.

Cherokee Red Lettuce is a floret type loose leaf lettuce. it has the nice feature of being a bit thicker leafed. Its beautiful, almost black magenta is a fabulous contrast to the bright orange of carrots and other colors.

Brown or white, and often called Baby Bellas or Button Mushrooms, Creminis are a mini version of the Portobello, a variety that grows only in a controlled environment. Creminis are an excellent source of selenium, B vitamins, copper, potassium and phosphorus.

Recipe by Delilah’s Farm for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
Soup:
2 cups beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup onion, in 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons celery, in 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons carrot, in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Garnish:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2–1 cup hearty greens (coarsely chopped) or cabbage (shredded)
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

PREPARATION

Soup:

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan.
• Add onions, celery, and carrot, and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add beets, orange juice, and broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to simmer and cook until beets are tender, about 40–45 minutes.
• Puree to desired consistency with a hand blender, in a blender, or food processor.
• Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
• Divide into two bowls and top each with half of the garnish.

Garnish:

• Just before serving chilled soup, heat olive oil in a small sauté pan.
• Add greens/cabbage and salt, and cook until they’re wilted.
• Add zest and stir until mixed in, then remove from heat. Place desired amount of warm garnish on chilled soup.

Serves 2. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 50 minutes.

Cook’s note: For a deeper flavor you can use roasted beets. Cook only 10 minutes to blend the flavors before pureeing. You can serve the soup warm, but the warm garnish is a nice counterpoint to the chilled soup.

Adapted from marthastewart.com

INGREDIENTS
3 cups peaches and apricots, pitted, and sliced (enough to cover the surface of the tart)
1–2 tablespoons jam or marmalade-apricot, peach, lemon, or orange
1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed (about 8–10 graham crackers)
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
3/4 cup heavy cream

Recommended equipment:
9-inch tart pan with removable bottom
Pastry brush

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• To make the graham cracker crust, place graham crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.Add butter and process until well combined.
• Transfer crust mixture to 9-inch tart pan.
• Using your hands or the base of a round, clean, and dry measuring cup, firmly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.
• Bake until nicely browned, about 10–12 minutes.
• Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• For the filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium high setting.
• Beat until fluffy. Slowly add cream and beat until soft peaks form.
• Evenly spread the mixture into the cooled graham cracker crust, then lay sliced stone fruit evenly on top.
• Once fruit is placed, in a small saucepan, mix jam with 1 teaspoon water.
• Heat on low until liquefied, about 2 minutes. Using a pastry brush, dab fruit with the glaze.
• Before serving, refrigerate tart for a minimum of 30 minutes or, if well covered, up to 1 day.

Serves 8 as a dessert. Prep time, 30 minutes; cook time, 12–14 minutes.

Adapted from janssushibar.com

INGREDIENTS
1-2 kohlrabi, peeled and quartered
2 beets, peeled and quartered
1 apple, cored and quartered
1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1–2 pinches of red pepper flakes (optional)

PREPARATION

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise (or Vegenaise), orange zest, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
• Using a food processor or box grater, shred kohlrabi, beets, and apple, and place in a large mixing bowl.
• Stir in desired amount of dressing, and toss until slaw is lightly coated. If a heavier dressing is preferred, add in a bit more mayo or Vegenaise
• Cover and refrigerate for at least half an hour to allow the flavors to blend before serving.

Serves 2–3. Prep time, 15 minutes; wait time, half an hour or more.

Other Uses for Kohlrabi:
Shred and use in salads, stir-fries, or veggie soups; roast or steam and add to a mash.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs new potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 bunch basil, minced (substitute or add parsley, dill, cilantro)
2 large shallots, spring onions, or 1/2 cured onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

PREPARATION

• Pierce potatoes with a fork. If they are more than 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter, cut them in halves or quarters.
• Small potatoes can be cooked whole.
• Over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet, add potatoes and cover.
•  Cook, shaking skillet occasionally, until tender, about 25 min.
• Uncover, add half the basil, the onions and the garlic.
• Reduce the heat, cover and cook until potatoes are golden brown and quite tender, about 10 more minutes.
• Remove from heat, toss with salt and pepper to taste, and add remaining basil.
• Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon sesame, coconut, or canola oil (or other high-heat oil; butter works as well)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 teaspoon dried ground ginger or 1 inch of fresh ginger, diced
1 head of bok choi, trimmed & chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

PREPARATION

• Heat oil in frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.
• Add ginger and garlic and cook about 1 minute.
• Add bok choi and tamari or soy sauce, and cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and stems just tender, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and serve.

By Farm Shop Team Member Seth Wright, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

As I drive around the valley everywhere I look tomato plants are quickly growing larger. Watching them grow is torture because tomatoes have been on my mind since they went out of season early last fall. The funny thing is, I didn’t even like tomatoes until I moved to the Capay Valley last August.

That’s because until then I lived in a cold, windy, high-altitude desert otherwise known as Wyoming. If you can get a tomato to grow at high altitude, it is tragically, ludicrously small. And you can forget buying tomatoes from the local grocery store. They have the flavor profile of a cardboard box.

However, luckily for you (and for me) tomatoes that grow here in the Valley aren’t pitiful, flavorless Wyoming tomatoes. They are the best tomatoes I have ever tasted. Anxious to learn more about them, I sat down with Full Belly Farmer and tomato expert Andrew Brait.

ME: Tomatoes are finally starting to ripen. When does tomato season usually start at Full Belly?

Andrew Brait: Well, arguably the first week in July really is sort of the start of the typical tomato season. We’ll start picking the very first ones then: typically cherry tomatoes, a few Early Girls and a few early heirlooms. However, everything is about three weeks ahead of schedule this year.

ME: Is there a lot of prep work you do earlier in the year to start getting ready for tomato season?

AB: Tomato season is pretty much a ten-month season. You start ordering seed in December, and then in January you are planting tomatoes in the green house. By March tomatoes start getting transplanted out into the fields. In May you are staking and tying them, and by June you are starting to think about early, early picking. During July, August, September and October you are pick until the rain sets in. They are an important enough crop that we end up putting a lot of attention into them.

ME: How does the weather and soil here in the Capay Valley contribute to making a great tomato?

AB: One of the things that the Capay Valley has is a wet season and a dry season.  If you are a tomato producer east of the Mississippi it essentially precipitates every week of the year, and that’s a big issue for tomatoes. It can cause cracking, fungus and disease issues that don’t really happen here because it doesn’t rain when the tomatoes are ripening. It’s a fairly ideal climate for tomatoes in the Capay Valley. They thrive here.

ME: What kind of problems do you face when growing a crop of tomatoes organically?

AB: Well, a couple of big things. Tomatoes have pretty exact nutrient requirements.  You have to make sure you understand how those nutrients are going to be available as the plant grows. As it gets older and tries to produce fruit it gets tired and is less efficient in terms of how it cycles in nutrients, so nutrients are a big thing. Of course insect and disease control are other big issues. We stake all of our tomatoes and that creates challenges as to how you effectively get any kind of protection or probiotic amendments into the plant. We built ourselves a special spray rig to meet those challenges.

ME: How many varieties of tomato do you grow here at Full Belly?

AB: Probably 25 plus varieties. We have cherry tomatoes that make up six or eight different varieties. There are some heirlooms that probably make up 15 to 20, and then there are Roma and slicer types that make up another four or five varieties.

ME: Why did you choose these varieties?

AB: You mean why those 25 out of the 250,000 tomatoes that you could possibly choose from? Well, we do a lot of trialing. We are always trying new varieties. However, the number one criterion for all varieties is flavor. Then we start looking at cultural characteristics, such as how well do they do in terms of yield, disease resistance and propensity to cracking. Also, its distinctiveness is an important factor because we have a very strong market for mixed heirlooms. We are always looking for something that makes a mixed heirloom pack unique.

ME: Do you have a favorite variety? Why is it your favorite?

AB: Absolutely, my favorite variety is called Gold Medal. It’s a Marvel Stripe type. They are a very large one to one and a half pound striped fruit that has kind of a perfect balance of acid to sugar.  Also, it’s just drop dead gorgeous. When you start slicing them up people are just like “wow!”

ME: Are any of the varieties you grow good for canning or sun drying?

AB: Yes. The Red Slicers, Romas, and Early Girls do the best for sun drying. For sauce, we’ve been playing around with a bunch of different varieties. But I have to say; these good old-fashioned Romas are the best for sauce because they have less water, more solids and great flavor.

ME: What are some indicators of a great, flavorful tomato?

AB: Well, that is the great twenty-first century tomato conundrum. We all have known that beautiful, stunning tomato that you see at the super market. It is blemish free and has a nice red color, but then you bite into it and it tastes like literally the box it was shipped in. That is a function of tomatoes that are picked green. Some conventional farms pick tomatoes just as they are starting to break color. They are not a vined ripened fruit, so they are not as good. However, the way you can tell a tomato has been vine ripened is by touching it. The tomato should have full color and some give, as well as a tomato smell.

ME: In your opinion what is the best way to prepare a tomato?

AB: I am super, super excited about these basic Italian salads which are just sliced tomatoes, basil, a little bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maybe some crushed pepper, and mozzarella cheese; just something pretty accessible.

Your salsa couldn’t get more authentic unless you had Tito Puente cut the Cubanelle Pepper himself while doing the salsa. These sweet peppers are admired for their thin flesh and used in Puerto Rican cuisine.

Meta Dunn was driving to work at The FruitGuys Chicago warehouse listening to radio reports of the devastation from the massive tornado that destroyed miles of Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people including 9 children, when she thought, “What can we do to help?”

Meta contacted her local couriers and produce vendors on the Chicago International Produce Market. Word and goodwill spread, and within 24 hours, donations came in including about $20,000 worth of produce, water, toiletries, and other goods, and a refrigerated truck and driver to deliver it all to Oklahoma City.

FruitGuys Meta Dunn and Joe Denny of United Express get the truck loaded with fresh produce for Moore, Oklahoma residents.

“I want to thank those [in The FruitGuys] who provide[d] me with ideas and connections to help make this thing possible,” said Meta in a May 24 email to FruitGuys employees. “None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the generosity of everyone here in Chicago on the market – as well as those we don’t work [with], have been so gracious to give and support in ways that they can.  It’s truly amazing the outpouring of support that [they] all have given.”

Meta especially noted the generosity of Brad Westrom, president of United Express Systems, Inc, which provides trucking services for The FruitGuys, who arranged for the loan of a 52-foot refrigerated truck from Xtra Lease, and paid for a driver, gas, as well as provided other logistical support. “Without that connection, this thing would never have been possible.  Brad has generously donated a driver and fuel and worked with one of his contacts to get the truck donated in this effort,” Meta wrote.

The 52-foot refrigerated truck full of donated produce and ready to hit the road.

The truck was loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables, such as apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, mangoes, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes, all donated by generous produce vendors in the Chicago area, including Evergreen International, City Wide Produce Distributors, Atom Banana, Dietz and Kolodenko, JAB Produce, Panama, Jack Tuchten Wholesale Produce, Strube Celery & Vegetable Company, Michael J. Navilio and Son, Olympic Wholesale Produce, La Galera Produce, Anthony Marano Company, Cornille & Sons, and other donors.

Tornado damage in Moore, Oklahoma

Through FruitGuys Aaron Smith, Christopher Peterson organized a parents group to donate essential supplies such as water and toiletries, while Meta worked with Christian Life Church, the Mount Prospect Public Library, Ba’Ruch Ministries, and Wanda Leopold from Organic Networking to secure further donations.

Meta and her daughter KeAndrea drove from Chicago to Oklahoma City during Memorial Day weekend to supervise the delivery of the donations to Feed the Children in Oklahoma City. Meta said Feed the Children coordinated with many local churches to deliver pallets of fruits, vegetables, and goods to shelters and churches including St. John’s Lutheran Church, Abundant Life Church, and Church of the Nazarene in Moore, as well as several others in Oklahoma City.

A sense of humor despite the devastation. The sign says: For sale, price reduced – some assembly required.

Meta is from Mt. Prospect, IL and has worked for The FruitGuys since July 2011. She said the company paid for her time off on Friday. “Meta’s generosity, tenacity and ability to move quickly and rally other Chicagoland businesses to do the same, is simply inspiring,” said FruitGuys CEO Chris Mittelstaedt. “As a company we believe that at our core we are in service to others and Meta’s actions this week truly exemplify this.”

WAYS TO HELP OKLAHOMA
Consider donating to these agencies to help the survivors of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado:

Feed The Children, Oklahoma City
Feed the Children is providing food, water, blankets and other supplies to tornado victims. The organization is accepting diapers, canned goods, non-perishable food, snack items, water, sports drinks, and cash donations. Text DISASTER to 80888 to make a $10 donation. After receiving a confirmation message you must type “yes” to complete the donation. Cash and corporate donations can be made online or by phone at 1-800-627-4556.

Church of the Harvest, Oklahoma City, is coordinating outside groups and individuals traveling to the area to volunteer. Their website tells you how to volunteer or donate. Pastor Kirk Pankratz is director of operations. (405)478-7373

St. John’s Lutheran Church is providing direct relief to tornado victims as well as collecting donations of water, batteries, plastic storage boxes, and other needed items. 1032 NW12th Street, Moore, OK 73160. (405)794-5462

MissionU-Too, is a faith-based ministry that feeds the hungry. They have a team in Moore. P.O. Box 2547, Bastrop, TX 78602. (512)537-5612, info@missionutoo.org

Catholic Charities Oklahoma City
Catholic Charities disaster relief team provides short and long-term services and counseling. Donate here or call 405-523-3000.

Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief says it has deployed at least 80 volunteers to respond to severe weather in Oklahoma. Those interested in helping can make a tax-deductible donation to the BGCO’s Disaster Relief ministry online or call (405) 942-3800. You may also send checks to: BGCO Attn: Disaster Relief 3800 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73112.

Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse, which provided relief to residents of Moore after the devastating tornado in 1999, deployed two Disaster Relief Units from their North Carolina headquarters before dawn on Tuesday. One will be based in Moore, and the other in Shawnee. Samaritan’s Purse is looking for volunteers to help with the relief effort. You can donate online or by phone at 1-800-528-1980. To give by mail, please send donations to: Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000.

Save the Children
Save the Children is mobilizing staff to provide support, relief and recovery services to communities and families in Oklahoma. The organization is prepared to deploy their Child Friendly Space kits in shelters, creating safe play areas for kids. They are also ready to deploy infant and toddler hygiene materials to support young children displaced from their homes. Text TWISTER to 20222 to donate $10 to Save the Children and help the response effort. You can donate online or call 1-800-728-3843.

Operation Blessing International
Operation Blessing International, a Virginia-based humanitarian group, is deploying to Moore, after working on tornado relief in Granbury, Texas, following last week’s storm there. A caravan of OBI emergency equipment was sent to Moore, including a construction unit, mobile command center, trucks full of tools and supplies, and a team of construction foremen. You can donate to the group online or donate by phone at 1-800-730-2537.

Looking like a Dale Chihuly object d’art, this eggplant is as tender as it is beautiful.

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch or 2 of pepper

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Toss cauliflower with oil, salt, and pepper.
• Place on rimmed baking sheet and roast until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle over pasta, salads, or whatever sounds good.

Yields 2 cups. Prep time, 5 minutes; cook time, about 15 minutes.

Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
4 leaves of lettuce
4 very thin slices of onion, 1/8-inch thick or thinner
4 slices tomato, about 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise or Vegenaise
1 small clove garlic crushed and minced, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of one lemon, divided
Bread of choice, 4 slices
1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• Place asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, half of the lemon juice, and salt.
• Mix to coat each asparagus spear and broil in the oven on high until they start to char, but are still bright green, about 6 minutes.
• Shake the sheet a few times while cooking to loosen asparagus and evenly cook them.
• Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise with tarragon, garlic, and remainder of the lemon juice.
• Toast bread slices and coat with the tarragon mayonnaise.
• Now build your toastie with lettuce, onion, tomato, and asparagus in between the bread slices. Serve warm!

Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as an appetizer. Prep time, 12 minutes; cook time, 6 minutes.

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
Pasta of choice (enough to serve 4)
Kale, one bunch, coarsely chopped (about 6–8 cups)
2 cups mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced (or more, to taste)
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
1–2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

PREPARATION

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• In the meantime, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add onion, salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon each), and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook until mushrooms just begin to caramelize, about 4 minutes.
• Stir only once or twice to allow caramelization.
• Add kale and cook until just wilted, about 2–3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
• Serve hot, sprinkled with freshly grated cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Serves 4. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 10 minutes.

Cook’s note: This recipe works great with any hearty green: chard, spinach, collards, etc.

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 onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dill, minced
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 small clove garlic, crushed and minced, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Bread of choice, 4 slices
1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• Sauté onions in a skillet with olive oil over medium high heat.Stir frequently and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
• Mix goat cheese with dill, lemon, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Toast your preferred bread slices and coat two slices with the goat cheese mixture.
• Top each slice with onion, radishes, lettuce and the remaining plain toast on top. Serve warm!

Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as an appetizer. Prep time, 6 minutes; cook time, 4 minutes.

Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
2 small or one large zucchini, trimmed, and thinly sliced lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick
4 thin slices of onion, about 1/8-inch thick
1 cup carrots, trimmed, and thinly sliced lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise or Vegenaise
1 small clove garlic crushed and minced, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of one lemon, divided
Bread of choice, 4 slices
1/4 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place zucchini and carrots on separate baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, half of the lemon juice, and salt.
• Mix to coat each vegetable spear and roast in the oven until they start to char, about 10 minutes for zucchini and 20 for the carrots.
• Shake the sheets a few times while cooking to loosen veggies and evenly cook them.
• Meanwhile mix mayonnaise with parsley, garlic, and lemon juice to make your aioli.
• Toast your preferred bread slices and coat each slice with the aioli.
• Now build your toastie with onion and broiled vegetables in between the bread slices. Serve warm!

Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as an appetizer. Prep time, 12 minutes; cook time, 20 minutes.

Powered by Horse

New Family Farm of Sebastopol, California, was one of six farms awarded grants in April 2013 from The FruitGuys Community Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. An outgrowth of the company’s Farm Steward Program, the Community Fund gives resources to small farms for sustainable agriculture projects that contribute to environmental and economic health.

As the song says, everything old is new again. In fashion that may be merely amusing, but the phrase has a deeper meaning for the many farmers who are discovering that “quaint” old-fashioned farming methods are actually rooted in deep ecology. After a century of industrial farming, some young farmers are turning to such tried and true practices as seed saving and sustainable management of livestock, crops, and soil to improve the quality of food, farmland, and farmers’ lives.

Two such farmers are Ryan Power and Adam Davidoff, who operate New Family Farm near Sebastopol, California. Their sustainable farming practices include using draft horses rather than motorized equipment to work the land. The $3,500 grant they were awarded from The FruitGuys Community Fund, a new non-profit founded in 2013, will go toward the purchase of a horse-drawn manure spreader that will improve soil fertility.

A Blend of Old and New

With its hoop houses, barns, pasture, and neat rectangles of fluffy plowed fields, New Family Farm, on leased land in a little Sonoma County valley, looks a bit like one of England’s fabled emerald shires. The sound of horses stomping and snorting drifts up the hill on gentle breezes. The farmers’ felt hats and suspenders augment the feeling of being transported to another time and place. But despite their appearances, Power and Davidoff are thoroughly modern men, well versed in the science and history of agro-ecology, and dedicated to growing healthy food and improving the land.

Power and Davidoff both grew up in Sebastopol – neither on a farm – and studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz, renowned for its organic farming program. After college, the two men worked on different farms and then met up again on a New Mexico farm that used mule teams to plow the fields. By now committed to farming without fossil fuels, they decided to  return to Sebastopol, where, they acquired a donated pair of draft horses, through serendipity and connections to Work Horse Organic Agriculture (WHOA), a local non-profit and farm that promotes using horsepower for agriculture.

Both Skill and Heart

Last fall, New Family Farm hosted a community workshop with Doc Hammill, a famed horse (and people) trainer from Montana. Known as the horse whisperer of harnessed and working horse teams, Hammill practices “gentle horsemanship,” which strives for total trust and respect – and no fear – between animal and human. It takes skill and heart to be a “teamster” (the original meaning of the term now associated with labor unions was to drive a team of harnessed horses). Working with horses requires complete presence and mindfulness, Power said. “We learned how to ask the horses for what we want them to do, not make them do it. They cooperate,” he told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in 2011.

Anything that can be accomplished with tractor power can also be done with horses. Power and Davidoff and their team, Misty (a Belgian) and Sparky (a Percheron), can plow, harrow, seed, and harvest the fields using the same equipment a tractor would pull – but without the roaring engine, fumes, and fuel. Another plus is that the horses are their work partners. “They each have their own personalities,” Power said. “It’s really charming to work with them day in, day out; they’re like friends.”

Using draft horsepower provides big benefits: it reduces the farm’s dependence on fossil fuels, and they can use horse manure in place of synthetic fertilizers. Despite their 2,000-pound bodies and plate-sized hooves, horses are low-impact compared to tractors, causing far less soil compression.

Fourth Growing Season

New Family Farm is now in its fourth season growing luscious organic beets, lettuce, greens, potatoes, winter squash, and herbs. “We are certified organic, but I like to think our practices go way beyond the stamp that CCOF puts on our farm,” said Davidoff in a presentation to the January 2013 EcoFarm conference. “By having and using horses we are not using diesel, except to get our crops to markets and restaurants.”

The farmers sell their produce at three county farmers markets, two restaurants, and eight grocery stores. They also raise hogs, and Power’s fiancée, Felicja Channing, makes cheese from their goats’ milk, as well as an array of fermented foods and sourdough bread.

“This farm feels alive and it has a spirit,” Power said. “There’s a lot of different plants and animals living here together. I think of it as enriching life – we go beyond organic, because we’re bringing about abundance and more life in what we do.”

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 to always wash your hands and wash your fruit before eating, even if it’s organic.

EAST
Stone fruit, including cherries, pluots, plums, peaches, and nectarines, is coming! In mid to late June, expect red, white, and sour cherries from Kauffman’s Fruit Farm and Beechwood Orchards and possibly New Jersey blueberries as well. Late June, we will see garlic scapes from Landisdale Farm, as well as squash and spring onions from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Herbs of all types from around the region will be in to add summery freshness to your menu.

CENTRAL/MIDWEST
Early summer brings seasonal favorites: make the freshest salad in town with cucumbers, tomatoes, and lettuce from Iron Creek Farm. Chicago’s Wood Street Urban Farm offers a riot of herbs such as basil, tarragon, and dill as well as spring favorites like asparagus, peas, strawberries, and green garlic. And break out the pie pans: Mick Klug Farm’s tart cherries will begin appearing in late June.

SOUTHWEST
It’s time for juicy peaches. We’re getting lots of stone fruit from California: donut peaches, nectarines, and cherries.

WEST
Some people wait all year for them: Angelcots. We’re getting the elusive, white-fleshed apricot varietal from Marty Maggiore. This early season variety is bred for juicy sweetness. Organic nectarines from Olson Family Farms are delicious. Berry fans will appreciate the organic blueberries from Delta Blue Blueberries and the ALBA Organics raspberries. Combine the fresh garlic from Full Belly Farm with Persian cucumbers from T&D Willey Farms and and some Greek yogurt for a revelatory version of tzatziki.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup fava beans, shelled and skinned (see directions)
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (or a mixture)
1 green garlic bulb (aka “spring garlic”), minced (or sub 1 clove regular garlic)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Snap the stem top of each pod, and pull the “string” down the seam to open the pod and remove the beans (if you have trouble with this, just snap each pod in the middle to break up pods and extract the beans).
• In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, and add 2 teaspoons of salt.
• While water is heating, prepare a bowl with ice water and set aside.
• Add shelled beans to the boiling water, blanch for 2–3 minutes, then remove from saucepan and immediately plunge into the ice water to halt the cooking.
• Let beans cool, then peel the waxy, bitter outer skin from each bean.
• Over medium heat in a skillet, heat the butter and/or olive oil, add green garlic, and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add peeled fava beans and sauté for about 5–7 minutes or until beans are tender or done to your preference.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!

Serves 2 as a side dish. Prep time, 20–30 minutes; cook time, 15 minutes.

Cook’s note: Try slicing fresh corn kernels from the cob with a chef’s knife, and adding them to the pan with the favas to sauté. Or, to make this dish a refreshing salad for 2, omit garlic, let favas cool, toss with a tablespoon of fresh chopped mint leaves, a pinch of sugar, and a teaspoon each of fresh juice and zest (lemon or orange).

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 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix rhubarb with 1/4 cup of sugar and set aside.
• Combine the rest of the sugar with flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix in eggs and vanilla, then fold in rhubarb (and nuts if using).
• Spread into a greased 10-inch pie pan.
• Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Serves 6–8. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 35 minutes.

Cook’s note: Serve warm or at room temp. Delicious served with vanilla or strawberry ice cream.

By Heidi Lewis

Why is it that in spring we have that hankering to get our hands in the dirt? That urge to plan and to plant; to go to the nursery and load up our wagons with little pots of promise for a great summer garden. It must be some ancient gene or a biochemical switch. Or maybe we’re just eternal optimists.

In a toast to spring this week, The FruitGuys has included something special: seed packets. If you haven’t grown seeds since elementary school, it’s a simple and rewarding activity.

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Seeds
Italian flat leaf parsley is flavorful, aromatic, and super nutritious. It’s easy to grow in the garden or in a windowsill planter. In 70–90 days, you can snippety-snip the leaves for an ultra fresh addition to your cooking. If you plant it outside, you can let the last of the plant go to seed, and it will return next year.

Cherry Belle Radish Seeds
Cherry Belles are the bright-red spherical radishes. Classics. Best suited for planting outdoors, you can plant a new section of these every two weeks (what the farmers call “succession”) to harvest continually through the summer. To test for readiness, feel around the root for the hard radishes, or pluck a test case.

The seed supplier, High Mowing Seeds, is a great organization. Grown from the ground up, the company started as a little germ of an idea in founder Tom Stearns’ backyard and blossomed into a respected national seed distributor of organic, non-GMO seeds. In 1999, High Mowing made a pledge in coalition with nine other seed companies to grow safe, non-GMO seeds. Currently, more than 70 companies have signed the pledge. They contribute to their local Maine community and beyond by offering classes, produce, and seed donations to school gardens, food banks, and disaster relief. Good growing, High Mowing.

We hope growing veggies from seed will be fun and that you enjoy your “couldn’t get more local if it bit you on the nose” produce.

How To Grow Your Seeds

1. Choose your place. The seeds you’ve been given can be sown directly into outside soil. Prepare a sunny spot with fertile soil. Or start seeds inside containers on a sunny windowsill to transplant later.

2. Choose a container. Seed trays with separate cells make transplanting easy. The ol’ cardboard egg carton method is fine, too.

3. Choose soil mix. A sterile soil mix is ideal to give seeds the best start. If planting outside, lay down potting soil. Soil should be moist, but not soggy, and gently tamped down to eliminate air pockets.

4. Use correct depth. The back of each seed packet lists recommended depth—about twice the size of the seed. E.g., an 1/8-inch seed should be placed under 1/4 inch of soil. Make an indentation with your fingertips, place 1–2 seeds, then cover gently with soil.

5. Water. Misting is sufficient, but don’t let the seedbed dry out. Big glugs of water will wash your little seeds away.

6. Thin and transplant. Once your little shoots pop out of the soil showing two leaves (the cotyledon stage), the hardest part is thinning—pluck out competing seedlings so strong ones have an inch or two of room around them to grow. When they’re two inches high with a few strong leaves, you can “harden” them by placing them outside during the day for a few days so they get acclimated. Then gently scoop shoots out, or pop them out of their cells, and place in prepared soil.

7. Maintain and harvest. Make sure soil stays damp (not wet), remove any weeds, and when ready, harvest the goods!

E-Book Promises Help for Busy Families

In a culture awash with sugary sodas, fast food meals, and other junk foods, making sure your kids learn to enjoy good, healthy, real food can seem like an impossible task. Before you throw your hands up in despair, check out “Bite This! Your Family Can Escape the Junk Food Jungle and Obesity Epidemic” a new e-book by Haim Handwerker, Eileen Katz, and Katherine Weber (Bite This Ink, $2.99; available through Amazon and Smashwords). Weber is the New York-based editor of The FruitGuys schools nutrition education program. The authors aren’t nutritionists or chefs, just parents who care about good health and good eating – and who know firsthand the daunting challenges faced by busy moms and dads everywhere.

The book is short (about 60 print pages) and breezy – all the better to fit in between soccer practice and homework help – but packed with practical tips for easy ways to bring real food and good habits to your family’s dinner table.

It’s divided into three main sections: the first, on shopping and planning, suggests healthy and convenient kitchen staples, guides you through the complexities of food labels, and gives advice on which foods to avoid or scale back. Part two provides suggestions for quick, satisfying meals, side dishes, desserts, and snacks. Rather than complicated recipes, the authors favor simple equations such as “Spaghetti squash + parmesan + butter = yummy pasta substitute.” Part three is chock-full of tips for managing such challenges as school food, restaurant menu choices, and over-indulgent grandparents.

One of the keys to success, the authors say, is to plan ahead and be prepared: Pack snacks like cherry tomatoes and nuts to bring to places where healthy options might be few and far between. Hard-boil a dozen eggs to have on hand for quick, protein-filled snacks. Make crispy chickpeas or kale chips ahead of time so they’ll be there when you’re tempted to grab a bag of greasy store-bought potato chips. Throw bananas in the freezer with a skewer stuck in them for an easy, fun dessert.

The authors aren’t out to make parents feel guilty for every morsel of Halloween candy their children eat. Instead, their philosophy leans more toward “moderation = sanity.” You can’t banish all junk food from your kids’ lives, they say, and you won’t always want to – occasional pizza nights won’t kill them (especially if you opt for a pie covered in mushrooms and peppers instead of pepperoni and sausage). Small changes can make a big difference, and they can add up to a lifetime of better habits for your kids.

Tender light green summer squash. It is also called cousa type or clarinet – but it won’t carry a tune, just sweet flavor.

Used just like traditional zucchini, this popular hybrid is loved by Italian cooks for its deliciously nutty flavor and firm, crisp texture. With its ribbed surfaces, slices are beautifully scalloped. Romanesco Squash is wonderful in stir-fried dishes, baked, or sautéed.

Seaweed Harvesting Class
June 3
Occidental, CA

Teen Snacks Workshop at Farmer’s Market
June 17
Santa Monica, CA

EAST
Women in Agriculture Tour – Rodale Institute
June 14
Kutztown, PA

Sunset Ecology Cruise
June 23
Jamaica Bay, NY

Slow Food NYC Happy Hour – The Slur
June 24
Manhattan, NY

CENTRAL/MIDWEST
Cardboard Boat Regatta
June 29
Glen Ellyn, IL

Learn to Make a Thermal Mass Rocket Stove
June 9
Stelle, IL

Children’s Garden Buddies Summer Event
June 22
Chicago, IL

SOUTHWEST
Garlic, Onion, and Music Festival
June 7-9
Amado, AZ

Garden Bed Design – Working with Fertile Soil in the Desert
June 8
Phoenix, AZ

Kid’s Camp Innovation at the Arizona Science Center – Go Green
June 15
Phoenix, AZ

Q: Why is some FruitGuys fruit small compared to grocery store fruit?

A. Smaller fruit often has less water but the same amount of sugar as larger fruit, resulting in a much richer taste. We focus on flavor and supporting small, local farms as much as possible. We send our buyers to visit farms, meet farmers, and taste fresh produce at its peak before we buy, and we pride ourselves on offering fruit and vegetables with superior flavor.

The Clementine is surely a darling, developed by Father Clement Rodier from a sweet tangerine and the somewhat bitter Seville orange. Clementines have fews seeds and a tangy taste.

By Heidi Lewis

Hello, my name is Violet Beauregarde. You may remember me from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? I was the kid who chewed a lot of gum—and I mean A LOT—and while visiting Mr. Wonka’s factory, I got excited and grabbed one of his inventions. Short story shorter, the dang gum backfired and I turned into a giant blueberry and had to be rolled away by the Oompa Loompas. Well, I would just like to say having been a blueberry—really BEEN in the mind and body of a blueberry—blueberries are great, and they really want the best for you. That’s why they’re so good!

Some people might say that blueberries have the blues. That’s just not true AT ALL. Blueberries are pretty upbeat. They LIKE the blues, R&B and Chicago Blues, etc., but they’re not what you call “blue” in the bummed out way. Blueberries are fun and fun-loving. Just put some in your pancake batter or on top of granola and yogurt—FUN! You’ll see that they know how to boogie-woogie.

Another misconception people may have about blueberries is that they aren’t sweet. Well they sure are sweet! Believe me, I ate a lot of candy before I became a blueberry, and I mean A LOT. I was kinda cranky and hyper a lot too—and being a blueberry really mellowed me out. Blueberries have a glycemic index value of around 50 (70 and above is considered high). You might like to include blueberries in your diet if you want to regulate your blood sugar levels.

See! Blueberries are good for you, they’re fun and sweet, AND they have antioxidants that do all kinds of good things for your health.

Button-like Cipolini (pronounced in Italian accent “chip-o-LEE-nee”) onions fall in with the pearl onion and shallot crowd. Used in Italian cuisine, great braised or roasted too.

Cilantro leads a double life as Leaf Herb and Spice Seed. We are mostly familiar with the leaves’ fresh taste in guacamole, salads, and salsas. The Cilantro flower’s seed, known to us as Coriander, is used in many exotic and everyday dishes. Cilantro is a good source of magnesium and iron and also reportedly has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.

The Chioggia Beet is an heirloom variety, hailing from Chioggia, a miniature Venice on Italy’s Adriatic Sea. Chioggia stripes + cooking = pink. If you want to preserve the beets’ unusual design, slice and serve raw. Cook them gently, steam, boil, or roast. To get the most nutrients, cook beets with the skin on and then peel afterwards. This makes clean up easier too although the Chioggias don’t “bleed” as much as other red beets.

Also known as Ponkan. One of the oldest and most popular mandarin tangerines, thought to have originated in India. Ponkan is distinctive for its oblate shape, often having a short “collar” or neck. They are  easily peeled, sweet, tender and juicy!

“My sister.. my daughter”… don’t let Fay Dunaway in Chinatown mix you up. Chocolate spearmint IS mint. Use whole leaves for tea, or tear into fruit salads. Spearmint is one of the more potent mints, and will add zest to any dish. On one hand, refreshing in Mojitos or tabouleh and on the other hand, calming in tea or a bath.

“Well to get to these lovely nut meats they need to be peeled. Now humans aren’t as skilled as we are, but they can get the job done by boiling, roasting or even microwaving till the leathery shell cracks away and the inner papery pellicle can be removed. Slice an “x” on the flat part and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Maybe not an everyday kitchen chore, but special taste for special results.” says Mr. Squirrel.

Nature’s candy. Cherry tomatoes have 23 mg Vitamin C per cup, and about one calorie per tomato. The free radical fighting antioxidant lycopene is tomato’s gift to you. Cooking concentrates the lycopene, but no one will fault you if you can’t wait.

These radishes are bright red little cherry bombs of zesty radish flavor. They are brilliant served cold or refined sautéed in thyme and butter.

The Cherokee was one of the first “black” tomatoes and the first to be popularly recognized as an heirloom. This tasty tomato was mistaken as over-ripe when first compared to hothouse versions. Indeed, the purple skin absorbs the suns rays voraciously.

Orange AKA Chedder cauliflower contains a least 25% more beta-carotene than white cauliflower. It is a hybrid, taking some 30 years to develop from a chance orange curd. This new vegetable is not GMO – it has been bred the old fashioned way.

by Judith Redmond of Full Belly Farm, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

I was recently in Detroit for a food and farming policy meeting. While there, our group took a field trip to meet local leaders in the urban gardening and farm to school movement. On the way, looking out the windows of the bus, we saw abandoned, decaying homes, empty factories, the shell of a once-majestic train station and vacant lots.

Multiple problems led to Detroit’s current plight: Auto industry jobs moved elsewhere, the mortgage bubble burst and property values plunged, property tax revenues fell, and the city was not well managed. Now, having lost its ability to borrow money, the city is cutting services like transportation, street lighting, street maintenance, and fire and police protection. Once the fourth largest city in the U.S. with a population of 1.85 million, the population has plunged to 700,000.

Michigan’s governor appointed an emergency manager for Detroit who started his state-mandated takeover in March. The emergency manager can break union contracts, cut pay of elected officials, remove elected officials from financial decision making, change labor contracts, close or privatize departments and even recommend that Detroit enter bankruptcy proceedings. What he actually WILL do remains to be seen, but the community advocates did not seem to feel a whole lot more secure now that he was in place.

No doubt it feels a little crazy to live in Detroit right now, but maybe out of this kind of darkness, a thousand flowers can bloom!  That was the feeling that we took home from our visit. There are now 1,400 urban gardens in Detroit, operating with little official support, on land that no one currently wants.  Transforming a vacant lot into a garden, they said, was bringing back pride and purpose to Detroit communities. Their goal was to feed themselves, feed Detroit communities and provide meaningful work and education.

Quite a bit of the abandoned land in Detroit has unclear title. In the foreclosure process, and with unpaid property tax, the city and the banks are often not even sure who actually owns some of the vacant lots that have sprouted urban gardens. But the gardens have appeared on vacant lots in every part of the 139 square-mile city and in an attempt to catch up with reality, Detroit in April passed an urban agriculture ordinance that adjusts zoning to make the gardens legal.

The wonderful transformative power that comes from nurturing a garden and harvesting and eating fresh food was shining bright in the stories of the urban gardeners in Detroit. Rather than abandoning the city to its decay, they were inspired and hopeful, gaining strength from each other and from their gardens.

Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch lemon verbena
Water to cover
Sweetener (optional)

PREPARATION

• Rinse lemon verbena and place in a large pot, reserving a few leaves for garnish.
• Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
• Boil for 5 minutes, turn off and allow to steep and cool.
• Can be boiled in the morning or strained in the afternoon, or left over night.
• Strain the stems out and pour mixture over ice.
• Garnish with remaining leaves.
• For a sweetened version, add sugar or honey to the mixture before boiling.
• Stir, over heat, until the sweetener is dissolved.
• Alternately, combine ½ c water and ½ c sugar in a separate saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly until dissolved.
• Add this simple syrup to taste to individual glasses of the cold mixture.

White morel mushrooms peek up from a bed of fall leaves at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, VA.

Just off one of Washington, D.C.’s busiest interstates, a group of George Mason University students has gathered in a lush nature preserve, armed with collection bags, cameras, and some of the area’s top mushroom hunters. Their mission? Morels—those tasty, elusive, honeycombed beauties that pop up in woods from Oregon to Maryland each spring.

In many areas finding morels—which can run from $40 to $50 per pound at grocers and online retailers—can be a badge of pride, whether you’re a professional mycologist or just a beginner. For those who love the meaty versatility that mushrooms add to dishes, hunting morels in local wooded areas, or even apple orchards, can be a good introduction to basic foraging. But as with any foraged food, collecting mushrooms requires care and, above all, caution before you pop any fungi into your mouth.

“Bingo!” yells one of the students just a few minutes into the foray. Gabriella Petrick, the GMU professor who organized the class trip, hurries over with six other students. Two tiny white morels peek up from under a bed of fall leaves, and the group eagerly snap photos with their mobile phones. The students quickly look for more in the area, since morels tend to grow in clusters.

Petrick, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and history, says foraging is a way to educate students about sustainable food production. But she emphasizes the fine line between responsible foraging and what’s known as the “tragedy of the commons”—over-harvesting land for one’s own needs while ignoring the long-term ramifications. She says ethical questions about foraging as a business and who should have access to it are paramount in her lectures. “This is about how we can use nature in a responsible way and what we can find in a wooded environment,” she says. “How can we be ecologically sound in our relationships with parks and forests?”

Morals for Morels

Like the handful of other edible mushrooms the students would find over the next two hours—including deer mushrooms and jelly mushrooms—these white morels popped up near elm trees. Morels can also be found under ash, poplar, and cottonwood trees. In the western United States, three types of morels, dubbed “fire morels,” crop up in large quantities the year after a forest fire, then disappear until the next burn. Though estimates vary, morels start growing when the ground temperature reaches 53 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and stop fruiting when the temperature reaches about 62 degrees.

Britt Bunyard, publisher and editor-in-chief of Fungi Magazine, says habitats for the nearly 30 species of morels mycologists have identified can vary, but unlike most other mushrooms, which prefer dusty, drier environments, morels like it a little wet.

“If the land gets moisture but doesn’t sit in it, that’s a good place for morels,” Bunyard says. “You won’t find morels near standing water. But if you move up a hill from the water, the trees will change and that’s favorable. They’re even found in banks along roads, or trashy, junky areas.”

Back in the woods, several members of the Washington, D.C., Mycological Association who accompanied the GMU students on their trip point out large, orange mushrooms called Chicken of the Woods growing on dead trees. This common, edible variety is freshest in the fall and comes up commonly at the base of old oak trees. But Bruce Boyer, president of the Mycological Association, warns students not to confuse old, dry chicken mushrooms from the previous season with newly grown ones. The old ones taste like sawdust, he says.

Wild leeks, otherwise known as “ramps,” have a pungent oniony flavor and can be found throughout the eastern United States.

For those foragers who aren’t lucky enough to spot morels, Petrick points out an abundance of wild leeks, commonly known as ramps, growing on the forest floor. The students sample the strong, oniony leaves and stuff several stalks into their bags. Wild leeks are found mainly across the eastern United States and grow into the summer. Used sparingly because of their strong flavor, wild leeks can add zest to any dish.

“You can make an antipasti out of them, grill them, or put them on a pizza,” Petrick says as she carefully pulls up the white bulb at the base of the plant. “You can also cook them with potatoes, but don’t cook them with morels, because it overpowers the flavor.”

Never Put Anything in Your Mouth

Throughout the expedition, Boyer and his fellow mycologists liberally dispense safety tips. Beginning mushroom hunters should always go with someone who knows mushrooms and the woods well. Never put anything in your mouth—whether mushrooms or plants—without a positive identification. Clean mushrooms as you collect them, and try to place them in a netted bag so that the mushroom’s spores can disseminate through the woods as you walk.

Bunyard of Fungi Magazine says simply bringing a guidebook into the woods—or trying to identify a mushroom on the Internet—is often confusing and potentially dangerous, since many mushrooms look alike, yet have subtle characteristics that can make the difference between a delicious meal and a trip to the hospital. Each year, more than 9,000 cases of mushroom ingestions are reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers and 95 percent of those cases result from mushroom misidentification by amateurs. Last year in California alone, more than 1,500 people were poisoned by mushrooms, five of whom died. Bunyard says foragers often think that brightly colored mushrooms indicate toxicity, but that’s a dangerous assumption. The most dangerous mushrooms are often brown or white. The safest ones are red, yellow, orange, or blue, he says.

“There’s not a sure-fire way to know if a mushroom is poisonous. If you see a deer eating a mushroom, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for you to eat. Things can be poisonous to us that aren’t poisonous to other animals,” Bunyard says.

Once you’ve positively identified an edible mushroom, the safest preparation is to cook it thoroughly. Boyer, Petrick, and several mycologists on the foraging trip wax poetic about all the ways they prepare morels. Boyer says he makes “stuffers”—morels that are cut in half, stuffed with crab meat, cream, nutmeg, and rum, and baked for 20 to 30 minutes standing up in a base of rock salt. Others say they simply sauté their morels in butter.

Bunyard says his family prefers them fried tempura-style in a deep fryer. Alternatively, morels preserve well, sustaining their earthy, smoky flavor for months after they’re dried. When in doubt, Bunyard says he looks for recipe inspiration from one of his favorite books, “Edible Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States,” which not only provides helpful illustrations on identifying fungi, but also includes delicious recipes by professional chefs.

Elizabeth Weinstein is a freelance journalist based in Alexandria, VA.

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chopped broccoli (including peeled stems)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup grated hard cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste
Butter or other high-heat oil for cooking

PREPARATION

• Steam broccoli in steamer basket or 1 inch of water, covered, until just tender– about 5 minutes.
• In a bowl, combine egg, flour, cheese, garlic and seasonings.
• Roughly grind broccoli in cuisine art or mash with a potato masher.
• Add broccoli to flour and egg mixture and combine.
• Heat skillet over medium heat.
• Add oil and heat.
• Add 2 tablespoons batter at a time, flattening with a spatula or spoon as you go.
• Cook fritters 2-3 minutes on a side, until lightly browned.
• Once cooked on both sides, place on a plate covered with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
• Add oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.

Yields 8–9 fritters (2 to 2 1/2 inches each). Prep time, 10–15 minutes; cook time, 10–15 minutes.

As spring gives way to summer and temperatures rise across the country, it’s natural to want to take our exercise routines outside. A bike ride in the sunshine, an afternoon hike, or a crisp morning run are the kinds of pleasures that define the season.

But as with most pleasures, being active in the summer is not without risk. Too much sun exposure can prematurely age your skin (or cause skin cancer), while a heat injury like dehydration, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke can land you in the hospital (and potentially kill). That doesn’t mean you have to give up exercising in the summer months — but take precautions to prevent injury.

What Puts People at Risk?

Higher air temperatures are, naturally, a major cause of heat injury, and one good way to protect yourself is to exercise in the early morning or late evening, when temperatures are cooler. Other contributing factors include the relative humidity in the air and the heat your body produces as you exercise.

These factors are balanced by the body’s ability to get rid of heat. We shed heat through our skin, like a radiator, and by breathing and sweating. When the humidity is high, sweat can’t evaporate and our core temperature rises, which is why it’s especially important to be mindful of heat risks in more humid climates. Keep an eye on the weather reports, and if the humidity is higher than usual in your area, make sure you compensate for that — slow down, or move your workout indoors.

Sweat is the exerciser’s friend. To ensure that your body can do this crucial task efficiently, stay hydrated, wear light, breathable clothing, and leave more skin exposed to the air.

Acclimating to higher temperatures can also help athletes perform better and more safely in the heat. As the weather gets hotter, moderate your activity by cutting down the time and intensity of your outdoor exercise, then slowly build back up. In his book Nutrition for Health, Exercise and Sport¸ Mel Williams notes that when you acclimate to higher temperatures gradually, your body makes several important physiological adjustments that help it dissipate heat, including producing more sweat and increasing blood flow.

E. Randy Eichner, M.D., writing in the online journal Sports Science Exchange, says that a major risk factor for heat injury is “overmotivation.” In other words, pushing yourself too hard when it’s too hot is definitely not advisable. Listen to your body — if you feel weak, dizzy, headachy, or exhausted, stop exercising, find shade, and drink some fluids.

If you suspect your workout partner has heatstroke (symptoms include fever, confusion, fainting, nausea, rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and skin that’s hot to the touch), call 911 immediately and get her out of the sun. Remember that children, the elderly, and obese people are at greater risk to heat illnesses.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Dehydration can impair your performance and lead to heat injury, so it’s important to consume enough fluid. For exercise sessions lasting about an hour, Williams recommends drinking at least two to three cups of fluid an hour beforehand and one cup every 10 to 15 minutes during your exercise session. If you’re going to be out for longer than an hour, make sure to continue to drink every 10 to 15 minutes, and eat a small snack or have a sports drink to replace the electrolytes lost through sweating. Drinking only water or too much of any fluid throughout very prolonged exercise sessions (three hours or more) can lead to dangerous imbalances in your system.

After the exercise session, continue to drink fluids to replace what you lost to sweating. You can figure out how much by weighing yourself before and after and drinking accordingly: over the next few hours, drink at least two cups of water (16 ounces) for each pound lost. Monitor the color of your urine between workouts — if it’s the color of lemonade or paler, you’re good to go. If it’s the color of amber ale, start drinking (but not beer — almost all beverages will hydrate you, except those containing alcohol).

Cover Me

With the thinning of the ozone layer, more solar radiation is hitting our planet and the incidence of skin cancer is rising. The Centers for Disease Control recommends a multipronged approach to sun protection.

First and foremost, remember that shade is your ally. A workout under the trees or a trail run through a forest will minimize the rays hitting your skin. When you shop for sunscreen, look for both UVA and UVB protection and a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 30 or better. Apply it liberally — at least an ounce per application. Reapply every two hours or after a sweaty workout.

Regular clothing provides enough sun protection for most of us, but if you are very fair and prone to sunburns, sun-protective clothing can give you an added measure of defense against the rays.

There are a million excuses for skipping a workout; don’t let the summer weather be one of them. You can exercise safely outdoors in the summer, as long as you take it easy and take precautions.

INGREDIENTS
1 large or 2 small bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3/4 teaspoon ground dried coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

• Toss sliced carrots and fennel.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, EVOO, coriander and salt.
• Drizzle over the slaw and toss.

Recipe by Non-Reactive Pan

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound (1–1 1/2 cups) string beans, cleaned, tips removed, cut into 2–3 inch pieces
1 cup peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)
Salt to taste

PREPARATION

• Heat oil in a wok or deep pan and fry the green beans for about 4 minutes on high, until the skin starts to pucker.
• Remove the beans with tongs or a spatula from the pan and drain them on paper towels or a paper bag.
• Pour the hot oil into a heat proof container and set aside to reuse or discard after it has cooled.  Place the pan back on the stove on medium.
• Add chili paste and garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute or less, just until you smell the aroma of the garlic. Don’t let it burn!
• Turn the heat back to high and add the cooked string beans to the pan, cook, stirring constantly for another 2 minutes. Let all the liquid from the beans evaporate.
• Pour the soy sauce over the beans, stir to coat the beans in the sauce, then turn off the heat and let sit in the hot pan for 2 minutes.
• Taste and add salt if needed.
• Add the sliced almonds (if using) and serve.

Serves 2. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 10-15 minutes. 

Cook’s Note: You can use canola or vegetable oil instead of peanut oil – but not olive oil which doesn’t burn at the right temperature for this recipe. Serve with steamed white rice and stir fried meats or tofu and veggies.

When the heat is on, cast iron cookware performs

My frying pan is as much at home on a campfire grate as on a burner of my glass-top electric stove: I can slide it into the oven to put the finishing touches on a dish, cleaning is easy, and the food always browns evenly because it distributes heat so well. Is it made of some new space-age material? Did it cost half a paycheck? No. My frying pan is made of good old cast iron, a cookware technology that’s been around for hundreds of years.

I was first drawn to cast iron for its vintage look and feel, but soon realized there are many reasons to love it. Most important, if it is seasoned and cared for properly, its surface is relatively nonstick so I don’t have to worry that flecks of Teflon or some other nonstick coating will come off in my food. And I never have to think about what utensils to use in it—metal spoons won’t damage cast iron.

Cast iron is also a great nutritional supplement for my family because we follow a vegetarian diet: Iron occurs in lower concentrations in vegetarian foods than in meats. The iron in our bodies is the same as that in a cast iron frying pan, and when I cook acidic ingredients like tomatoes, some of the pan’s iron finds its way into the foods—and, eventually, into our bodies.

Choosing Cast Iron

If you didn’t inherit your great-grandmother’s cast iron, you can buy a new skillet, Dutch oven, or griddle from a wide variety of cookware retailers. The dominant manufacturer of cast iron cookware is Lodge, a century-old family-run Tennessee company, all of whose pans come pre-seasoned and ready to go. This wasn’t the case a decade or so ago, when, if you bought a new cast iron frying pan, you were in for a few hours of work to get it into shape for cooking. A 12-inch Lodge frying pan costs between $20 and $30—not much for an object you might end up using daily for 50 years, then handing down to your grandchildren.

“Seasoning” is a natural layer of oil residue that builds up through use, protects the pan, and gives it its non-stick properties.

Cast iron cookware is heavy, so look for skillets that have small handles opposite the main ones so you can use two hands to carry them. And while you’re shopping, stock up on oven mitts—cast iron handles heat up during the cooking process, so be sure to use protection when you lift a hot cast iron skillet.

If you are a haunter of thrift stores, antique stores, or garage sales, you can buy your cast iron pans on the secondhand or vintage market. Connoisseurs say these older pans have a smoother surface than their contemporary cousins. Old pans can be beautiful and functional, but are also likely to be rusty and caked with years of buildup. You’ll have to strip the old seasoning off your pan and start fresh.

How to Season Cast Iron

For an old pan, there are several ways to go about removing old seasoning. If your vintage pan isn’t too crusty, you may be able to just use elbow grease, hot water, soap, and a pot scrubber to get it clean. Another technique is to spray the pan with lye-based oven cleaner and seal it in a plastic bag for a couple of days, then wipe off the oven cleaner (be sure to wear gloves) and scrub with hot soapy water. Some people build a fire in a fireplace or fire pit and just shove the crusty old pan into the white-hot ashes, where the seasoning burns up as the fire cools down. Once the pan has cooled, you can scrub it with hot soapy water to remove the last vestiges of old seasoning. There is a danger, however, with this method: The pan could warp or crack if the heat is too high.

Now it’s time to season your pan, which you do by using fat to fill the porous iron and create a slick surface. Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Using a clean cloth or paper towel, wipe a thin layer of unflavored oil, such as flaxseed or shortening, onto the pan and place it upside down on the oven rack. Bake for two hours, then turn off the oven and leave the pan inside until it has cooled completely.

Caring for Cast Iron

Most cast iron aficionados recommend that you never use soap on it. How will it get clean without soap you ask? For most cleanups, just rinse with hot water and give it a swipe with a nylon scrubber or sponge. To soften hardened-on food, fill the pan with water and heat it on the stove; if there’s a lot of it, scour the pan’s surface first with a couple of tablespoons of coarse salt and a paper towel. When the pan is clean, pop it back on the stove on low heat for a couple of minutes to make sure it’s completely dry to avoid rust marks.

If you live in a humid climate, it’s prudent to wipe the inside of your clean, dry pans with a very thin film of oil before storing (put sheets of paper towels between pans if you stack them, to avoid an oily mess).

After you season your cast iron piece, it will have the beginnings of a nice patina. But to get the best from cast iron, the key is to use it. When your pan is new, use it to cook high-fat dishes—fry up some bacon, say, or potato latkes. The more you cook with your cookware, the better it will perform.

Because it’s heavier than most other cookware, cast iron does take a little bit more time to warm up on the burner. But when it does, it holds heat beautifully and cooks foods evenly.

My top five dishes to cook in cast iron:

• Cornbread–Southern or northern style, it doesn’t matter: cornbread baked in cast iron comes out with an appealingly crunchy exterior and a soft, crumbly interior.
• Upside-down cake –Whether you’re making traditional pineapple upside-down cake or getting creative with seasonal fruit (like rhubarb), cast iron ensures that the fruit caramelizes to perfection. It’s the perfect vessel for recipes that start on the stovetop and end in the oven.
• Latkes–My deep Dutch oven keeps the inevitable oil spatters to a minimum when I fry latkes.
• A big pot of beans–Nothing says camping like a cast iron Dutch oven full of pinto beans simmering for a few hours over the fire. When they’re tender, smash ‘em and scoop them with tortilla chips.
• Caramelized onions–Cast iron is perfect for the kind of long, slow cooking caramelized onions require.

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
The juice of 2–3 lemons
2–3 tablespoons of sugar (honey or agave nectar may be used in place of sugar)
2–3 cups of room temperature water

PREPARATION

• Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Note: if using honey or agave, stir with 1 cup of warm water to melt sweetener, then stir in remaining cold water.
• Experiment with the amounts of each ingredient; some people prefer a more tart lemonade, some people more sweet.
• Serve over ice and top with a fresh slice of lemon. Enjoy!

Serves 2–3. Prep time, 5–10 minutes.

Recipe by The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
1 eggplant
Olive oil
Salt

Optional extras:
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Marinara sauce
Fresh basil or pesto

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to broil.
• Slice eggplant horizontally into 1/2-inch rounds, brush both sides with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
• Broil on each side for 3–4 minutes or until browned and tender.

Serves 2–3. Prep time, 5 minutes; cook time, 6–8 minutes.

Cook’s note: Try topping broiled eggplant slices with fresh mozzarella cheese and returning to the broiler for 1–2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Then top with warm marinara sauce and ribbons of fresh basil or a dollop of pesto.

A key ingredient in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, basil is a member of the mint family and is an incredibly versatile herb. Genovese, Greek, Spicy Globe, and Thai basil are a few of the many varieties that come in an assortment of colors (including purple!) and flavor accents, such as lemon, anise, and clove. It is delicious added to salads, pastas, pestos, dressings, egg dishes, beverages, stir-fries, noodle dishes, and more.

If you prefer you bananas with pedigree, than the Cavendish is for you. It has peerage – so you may address your banana as Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount – or Baron Banana. But if our banana doesn’t come when you call — then “hey you!” should work. Most bananas we include in our cases are Cavendish bananas.

It’s been said that you burn more calories eating celery than the celery itself contains. But calorie-counting aside, celery is all about flavor. That’s why its ribs are the backbone of myriad soups, sauces, casseroles, and more. When cooked, celery punches up the flavor, especially when combined with some of its long-standing veggie partners in crime—onion and carrots or bell pepper. Raw, it is crunchy-delicious, whether on its own, dipped in dressing, or jazzing up salad or salsa. With impressive levels of vitamins K and A, folate, and potassium, celery is crunchy, nutritious, and filling.

Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch radishes
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt, or smoked sea salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig fresh dill

PREPARATION

• Wash radishes well, trim off the stems and roots, then cut in half.
• In a saucepan, bring water, vinegar, salt, and honey to a boil.
• Remove pot from heat and add the peppercorns, fennel seeds, and garlic.
• Place radishes and dill in a mason jar and pour the hot liquid over them.
• Put the lid on and let cool before refrigerating.
• Let the radishes marinate over night before eating.

Serves 4 as a garnish or snack. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, about 4 minutes.

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com

INGREDIENTS
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter (more or less to taste)

PREPARATION

• Place potatoes, carrots, and garlic in a medium saucepan.
• Cover with water. Add a large pinch of salt.
• Bring to a boil, and cook until completely tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
• Put cooked veggies in a medium-sized mixing bowl (preferably heated), add milk and butter, and season with salt and pepper.
• Mash until smooth, adding some or all of reserved cooking liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Serves 2–3 as a side dish. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 20 minutes.

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 diagonal, about 1/8-inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water or white wine
1–2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
2 tablespoons minced fresh herb such as parsley, basil, cilantro, or dill
2 cups cooked brown rice (follow directions on the box)
Parmesan cheese, pepper, and more salt to taste

PREPARATION

• Shell fava beans.
• Place in a pot of salted, boiling water and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
• Remove favas and place in a colander and rinse under cold water for a few moments.
• Once cooled, peel off the thin white outer shell to reveal the smooth bright green fava bean.
• Over medium-low heat, sauté green garlic in a skillet with olive oil until soft and translucent.
• Add kale, salt, and water or wine, mix well to evenly cook the kale until tender and most of the liquid dissipates, about 4 minutes.
• Combine favas, kale mixture, and carrots with balsamic, and minced herbs in a bowl.
• Adjust salt and olive oil seasoning and toss well. Serve over brown rice. Top with freshly ground pepper and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 4 as a hearty side dish. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 7 minutes.

Recipe by Christopher A. West, courtesy of  Capay Valley Farm Shop

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch kale or other green, stemmed and chopped in 1/2 inch strips
3 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 eggs
3.5 oz walnuts
1 tablespoon Spice Mix (1 teaspoon Paprika, 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon Ginger Powder, 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom Powder, 1 teaspoon Curry Powder, 2 tablespoons Sugar, 1/4 tablespoon Black Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Salt – Or any mix premixed spice blend you like)
OR your favorite hot sauce
4 oz Mexican Crema (or Sour Cream)
Salt & Pepper

PREPARATION

• In a large Bowl, place walnuts, 1 oz oil, and spice mix .
• Toss and place in roasting pan, roast in over for 12-18 min.
• Check every few minutes to make sure the nuts are not turning dark brown.
• When the nuts turn light brown remove from oven and transfer into a clean bowl.
• Place green in a large bowl and combine with eggs.
• Mix. Add salt and pepper. Heat a pan or wok over med heat.
• Once hot, add oil and sauté 1/2 clove garlic for 1/2 minute.
• Mix up egg and greens then add 1/6th of mixture and let it sit in the center of the pan until the Kale has begun to wilt and the egg has coagulated (it’s important not to move it around, give it time to let the egg cook and hold everything together).
• Flip and cook till tender. Remove from pan and place on a towel to drain excess oil.
• Plate with one Kale Cake in center of plate, topped with a dollop of Mexican Crema, some spiced nuts, and a little spice mix around the plate.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery (optional
1 cup chopped onion
4 teaspoons butter
1  1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• In a large skillet, sauté the carrots, celery, and onion in 3 teaspoons butter until tender.
• Transfer to a greased 1  1/2-quart baking dish.
• Top with 3/4 cup cheese.
• In the same skillet, sauté broccoli in the remaining butter for 1 minute.
• Place over cheese; pour broth over all.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
• Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and vegetables are tender.
• Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Serves 6 as a side dish. Prep time, 20 minutes; cook time, 30 minutes.

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 or so, everything on the farm has finally decided that it will go with: It’s Spring! And with that decision by all the inhabitants of the farm, our world has made a sudden,
irreversible change, and the changes just keep on coming. It is a totally different feel than any other time of the year.

Summer is fast and changes are sudden, but the very relentlessness of it all becomes a fierce momentum in which we participate and dare not leave, a blur in which each day becomes the same because of its intensity. Fall is a long slide, a recuperative time when change slows its tempo, the very air thickens, and I can feel my bones grow heavy. Winter here in our part of the world is at best a brief interlude, seemingly just arriving for a few moments in late November with the dreamy peacefulness of a quiet, still world, before departing in late January, leaving behind a barn full of unfinished projects. But Spring; ah, now there is a different kind of time. The growth, the smells, the constant chatter of birdcall after birdcall, all day and all night, always changing, coming in new and unexpected places and combinations.

In our spring at Good Humus Farm the hawks come back suddenly one day. Some have stayed around all winter, and some stay in the summer, but in spring there are so many. We can hear a call, a scree, and look up at eight or ten wheeling around in the sky and it feels as if they are saying hello, and we are home, look at us and what we can do. And we just have to stare and let them know that oh man, do we love to see you back.

In our spring at Good Humus Farm, the apricot blossoms come first; they lead the way into the brilliant promise of the future. Oh I am not forgetting the tulips, and the anemones, and the mustard, and the wild plums that all color our late winter days, but the first big splash of the season belongs to the apricots. The apricot bloom starts the turnaround time, the time when in the time it takes to turn around, something has changed. And another turn, another change. Apricots turn overnight from red swollen buds, to trees full of heaven, full of gently drifting blossoms, full of the smell that is no other than apricots in bloom, full of the laziest, most mesmerizing sound in the year, the sound of hundreds of bees in thousands of blossoms. Turn around again, and the fruits have burst through the walls of the used up womb of the flower, are wearing them like skirts that they have grown out of, and are the size of my little fingernail, no my thumbnail, no, even bigger!

In our spring at Good Humus Farm, the weeds will have their way. We know what is coming, we’ve seen it all before, we struggle like bluebottle flies in a spiders web, making great noises, wreaking havoc where we are, almost feeling like maybe we have it whipped this year, just another twist or turn….. but the weeds have their way, we get to the end of the row and see the weeds raising their heads above the crops, I swear where I was this morning. In saving the chard we lose the carrots, in saving the lettuce, we lose the radicchio. It happens so fast. Tall weeds that shade, short weeds that mat and set seed in a breath and in the thousands, viney weeds that creep or crawl over everything, smothering the land, creating a world that is theirs.
In our spring at Good Humus, flowers are everywhere. Some catch the eye of every passerby, and some will save their sweetness for only that very special someone who is for them only, and no other. There is not escape, not for them, not for us. We cannot step outside without seeing the progression of the season, buds opening on the apples as petals carpet the ground under the cherries. Cherry blossoms that were young and blushing when the nectarines were in full bloom, and the apricots were in tatters. And so it goes each day of the spring until all have had their own time, have brightened the world or have set their fruit or have fed the multitude of pollinators.

In our spring at Good Humus Produce there is no escape from the frenzy of growth and change. We all live in the midst of it, participate in it and do everything we can to bend it to our needs. But like the weeds, it will have its way. We plant our fast growing crops and watch, as one after another, they succumb to the urge to reproduce and like the old farmers among us, they “go to seed”. And depending on the vicissitudes of the season, the strength of the genetics, and the quality of our care, they can be of almost any size when the change of life comes, when the rosy turnips, the head lettuce, the beets, or the arugula goes to seed. And then our job is to be right there, recognize the symptoms, and pick, prepare and eat the product of this amazing season just before our food expends its energy in the eternal urge. So for the next weeks of the spring, remember the season, and enjoy all the products of the season as they come to you in all sizes from petite to Grandpa, all bursting with Springtime in California.

Courtesy of Delilah’s Farm

INGREDIENTS
2 cups zucchini ribbons (see Preparation instructions)
2 cups diced tomato
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2–3 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade (stack basil leaves, roll up, and cut into 1/8 inch ribbons crosswise)
1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked per package directions

• While pasta is cooking, dice tomatoes, and make the zucchini ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandolin to cut the zucchini into thin strips lengthwise.
• When pasta has one minute left to cook, add the zucchini ribbons and stir.
• Drain pasta/zucchini well and place in a serving bowl.
• Add tomato, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and basil and toss.

Serves 2 as main course 4 as first course. Prep time, 10 minutes; cook time, 15 minutes.

Cook’s Note: You can substitute coarsely chopped fresh parsley for the basil, but be sure to use only fresh herbs for this recipe.

Recipe courtesy of Capay Valley Farm

INGREDIENTS
1 pound of new potatoes, gently cleaned, cut in half or quarters
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1-2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, bruised and chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Put potatoes in a mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add olive oil, rosemary, and garlic.
• Toss until potatoes are well coated.
• Spread potatoes out on a a baking sheet.
• Roast for 40 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through (test with fork) and browned.
• Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4.

Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys

INGREDIENTS
6 cups spinach, well-rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 cup onions, minced
3 eggs
Crème fraîche or cream cheese, 3-ounce container (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup grated white cheddar or Gruyere
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated pepper
1 prepared piecrust

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute.
• Remove spinach with a slotted spoon or drain in a strainer.
• Using cheesecloth or a mesh strainer, squeeze out as much water as possible.
• By hand or with an electric mixer, beat crème fraîche or cream cheese in a bowl until smooth.
• Slowly and gradually beat in milk and eggs.
• Now mix in all the rest of the ingredients and pour the mixture into the prepared piecrust.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the egg filling is firm to the touch.

Serves 4–8 as a main or side dish. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 25 minutes.

Image courtesy of Full Belly Farm, Guinda CA

The farm is so alive during this time of year! Everywhere you turn, it seems like something new is blooming, growing or coming to life. Though the hot summer seems to be racing towards us, with harvests of tomatoes, melons and squash coming soon, everyone seems to be totally rejuvenated by the bright green hills and blooming flowers. We invite you to come experience the farm in its full spring attire – chock full of flowers, baby animals and bright green hills for the 2013 Capay Valley Mother’s Day Country Gardens Tour.

The Capay Valley Garden Tour is proud to feature nine gardens this year, including Good Humus Produce, Cache Creek Lavender, Leapfrog Farm, Lloyd Ranch and Full Belly Farm. The Gettleshtetl Garden is a wonderful homesteading garden that has over 20 varieties of fruit trees, nuts trees and even a home olive grove! Also included will be the Seka Hills Olive Mill open for olive oil tasting and Chamisa Ridge Nursery where you can purchase many of the natives that are low water use. You can bring a picnic and lunch on the lawn at many of the gardens or purchase a delicious lunch from the Grange Hall in Guinda. Not only is this a fun and relaxing way to spend Mother’s Day, but it is an opportunity to see the farms where your food is grown.

Proceeds from the Garden Tour will benefit the Will Baker Native Plant Garden, a 1/2- acre community-based project with the goal of creating an educational and native plant garden. Will Baker was a longtime local resident, author, UC Davis professor, farmer, cowboy, and poet. The Capay

.Valley was fortunate to have the benefit of his enthusiastic participation in every aspect of community life. The project is maturing after five years of volunteer labor. Eventually it will be a demonstration garden featuring native plants and highlighting their utility in rural and home landscapes, featuring plant groupings according to the natural plant communities of the region with associated informational displays. Also benefiting from the tour is the local Future Farmers of America program at Esparto High School.

The gardens and homes will be open from 10am to 5pm. The cost of the tour is $10/adult, children under 12 are free. It is a self-guided tour, so you start wherever and whenever you want! You can buy your tickets on-line and get your map in Esparto when you arrive. For more information,

visit CapayValleyGardenTour.com.

See you on May 12!