A fashion edict of the 20th century was “only wear white between Easter and Labor Day.” Wearing white flapper dresses, knickerbockers, and shoes in summer has its practical purposes, and eating white …
summer
Navels vs. Valencias
Navel oranges (the “winter” orange) and Valencia oranges (the “summer” orange) are similar in flavor and appearance, but what distinguishes one from the other? Oranges are one of the most commonly …
Vanilla-Roasted Stone Fruit
In June, we must eat stone fruit. Stone fruits are those fruits that consist of flesh surrounding a single hard pit. They include peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, and even mangoes. …
Ode to the Apricot
I have been given a copy of Robert Palter’s The Duchess of Malfi’s Apricots, and Other Literary Fruits. It’s a great reference book if you like those moments of clarity when writers unravel the human …
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FuitGuys INGREDIENTS 1 ½ cups whole tomatillos (about 6 medium-sized tomatillos), husked and washed well 1–3 hot peppers, depending on heat preference (such …
Fresh Tomato Penne
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced (regular, roma, or cherry) 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced 1 …
Poached Vanilla Peaches
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 2 peaches, ripe (fragrant) but not too soft 2 cups sweet white or dessert wine 1/4 cup maple syrup, agave, or sugar (see Cook’s …
Garlic Zucchini Bites
Recipe by Rebecca Dienner for The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 2–3 medium zucchini, cut in 1 1/2-inch rounds 1/2 cup onion, cut in 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 1–2 cloves garlic, …
Dapple Dandy Pluot
The Dapple Dandy Pluot is a sweet plum-apricot flavored pluot with beautifully dappled skin. These pluots contain fiber and complex sugars for sustained energy, and the taste is fantastic. …
A Little Apricot History
from Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop A combination of Royal and Blenheim Apricots From the Luxemburg Gardens in Paris to England’s Blenheim Palace to the imperiled orchards …
In Our Spring
by Jeff Main of Good Humus Farm, Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop Image courtesy of Good Humus Produce With the passing of the 2013 equinox a few weeks ago, and all the warmth and wetness …
Canary Melon
Put some Harry Belafonte singing Yellow Bird on the hi-fi and cut open a sweet Canary Melon for a double tropical treat. Yellow rind and pale green flesh. …
Black Mission Fig
The tear-dropped shape contains "A taste of honey. Tasting much sweeter than wine. I dream of your first kiss and then..." This fruit of desire goes way-way back to the Old Testament and the very …
Blue Ray Blueberries
Blue Ray Blueberries are big, juicy early blueberries. Blueberries are power packed with nutrients. Add some sweet notes to your yogurt or granola by tossing in a few of these real-deal berries. …
Blackberry
Blackberry thumb is what some call the sickness of too much texting. [:-(] At the Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego, the theme was "The Attention Economy," Linda Stone spoke of a "continuous …
Bing Cherries
Yeah! Cherries! A fruit so packed with taste and lore, in poems, paintings, and punk rock songs- how we worship this fine little fruit. For many the first cherries are a sign of spring and renewal, …
Albion Strawberry
Albion strawberries are the variety that put strawberries front and center in terms of market and availability. This vigorous and big berry has made it possible to have strawberries more often …
Angelcot
What do you get when you cross a cherubic Hummel figurine and an apricot? An Angelcot. Developed by Ross Sanborn, this unique short season apricot is notable for its very pale yellow—almost white …
Tapas-Style Padron Peppers
Recipe by Non-Reactive Pan, clarosouthwick.com/blog INGREDIENTS 10–12 Padron peppers 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 2 tablespoons olive oil PREPARATION Heat a skillet over high heat, …
CandyCot
Described as “knock-your-socks-off-good!” by FruitGuys buyer Misi Katoa, CandyCots are a uniquely sweet group of apricot varieties grown exclusively by a family-owned, fourth-generation farming …
Plum Crazy for Plums!
By Gretchen Bay It’s officially summer. And summer means (among other delicious things)—plums! Unlike their stone-fruit cousins' peaches and nectarines (which come with a white or yellow flesh and …
Berries of Summer
Babies on Board By Heidi Lewis Oh de bitty babies, so cherubic in their little baskets. Heavenly creatures, berries were flowers before they incarnated into sweet gems that dance on our tongues. …
Not Your Momma’s Coleslaw
Courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop INGREDIENTS 1 small head green cabbage or other cabbage 4 large carrots, shredded 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves ¾ cup mayonnaise, low-fat is …
Bada Bing, Bada Boom
By Heidi Lewis You know what sweet summer cherries like? They like winter. That’s when they catch up on a little shut-eye and wake up refreshed. Many stone fruits and pomes need the chill hours to …
Spring Swooning for Summer Fruit
By Heidi Lewis Here they come, rolling into town— They get the hungriest looks from, everyone around— [drum fill”¦] Hey, hey, they’re the summer fruits! And they’re super duper cute! It may not …
Fifth-Generation Family Farm: Friend’s Ranch
Friend’s Ranch in Ojai, CA, is a regular supplier of Pixie tangerines for The FruitGuys. The Friend family and its descendants (now into its fifth generation of family farming) have been growing fruit …
Red Beaut Plum
Beauty, but friends call it "Beaut" for short, is an early smooth red plum with yellow flesh. Good plum to know on a first-name basis. …
Reflecting on Summer”¦
By Jeff Main of Good Humus Produce, courtesy of Capay Valley Farm Shop It seems like a long time since I’ve had a chance to touch bases with all of you, as a matter of fact, it has been a long …
Foods that Cool
Record temperatures and humidity across the country has made getting cool the name of the game. While there is always air conditioning, the pool, or the good old-fashioned fan, there are other options …
O’Modern O’Henry!
By Chris Mittelstaedt When O’Henry peaches start to appear, I think of O. Henry—the turn-of-the-century American short story writer who wrote The Gift of the Magi, a story about a young married man …
Faux Parfait
Recipe by Tanya Milosevich INGREDIENTS 2 white nectarines 1 basket strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or a combination 1 half-pint whipping cream 4 tablespoons sugar 1 …
Plu…ots
Maybe you think I write too much about my kids. I kind of agree, but man, do they give me good material. Last week, for example, when I told them we would be getting pluots for this week’s cases, they …
Ripe On Time
We’re so organized it’s almost bewildering. All week long, we’ve been going down the checklist helping the kids get ready for camp. “Sleeping bags?” “Got it, Dad!” “Flashlight?” “Daaadd! I’ve got …
Balance the Beat
My daughters are in a rock band. One plays bass and the other drums. My 10-year old drummer has a problem with The Go-Go’s song “We Got The Beat.” “I keep losing my beat,” she says. “Have you looked …
Wearing It On Your Sleeve
I’m not a good poker player. I generally say what I think, and you can read the thoughts I’m not saying across my forehead as if it were an electronic billboard streaming data for all of Times Square …
Riding the Peach Train
In the pantheon of great lyrical misunderstandings, I remember this: summer sunlight circa the mid-1970s and me dancing around our living room while singing at the top of my lungs to the “The Age of …
Strawberry
Strawberries are a member of the rose family and, like their floral cousins, evoke sentiment. They are, after all, heart-shaped. Very delicate, strawberries must be hand-picked and rushed to a cooler. …
“Smothered” Eggplant, Yellow Squash, and Spinach with Basil
Adapted from Gourmet INGREDIENTS 2 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into ⅛-inch thick slices 1 eggplant, cut into ¼-inch cubes 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 cup …
Radish-Cabbage ColeslawӬ
Adapted from Gourmet INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 pound cabbage, cored, and thinly sliced (6 cups) 6-8 radishes, cut into thin matchsticks 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 1 1/2 …
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Vinaigrette and Arugula
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS One head cauliflower, green leaves discarded 2 cups loosely packed arugula, rinsed and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup …
Gingered Vegetable Stir-Fry
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS One head broccoli washed, and cut into bite-sized pieces One daikon radish, cut into julienne strips (about 2 cups) One bunch rainbow chard, de-stemmed, …
Broccoli with Ginger
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS One head broccoli Three tablespoons olive or vegetable oil One tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, minced Two cloves garlic, peeled, minced Two …
Roasted Cauliflower
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS One medium head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), cut into one 1/2-inch-wide florets (8 cups) Two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon …
Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS 1-2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes One head broccoli, rinsed and chopped One bunch of rainbow chard, de-stemmed, and coarsely chopped One …
Roasted Beets with Beet Greens
Recipe by The FruitGuys INGREDIENTS One bunch beets with greens 1/4 cup olive oil, divided Two cloves garlic, minced Two tablespoons chopped onion (optional) salt and pepper to …
Laroda Plum
"Low ri-der, drives a little slower." [Queue horn section]. The Laroda plum was developed in Winters, CA in the 1950s, and is cherished for its rich wine taste and beautiful color. It has been …
Apricot
The apricot is a species of the genus Prunus, along with its stone fruit sisters, plum, peach, and cherry, and its cousin almond. Apricots found their way through history and geography, emigrating …
Sweet as Nectar
We once spent a day driving through the Brentwood agriculture corridor hunting of the perfect nectarine. Brentwood is only a 90 minutes drive from San Francisco and is an ideal oasis near the …
