fruit notes
These late-season Minneola tangelos are the sweetest I’ve had! And boy, it’s been hard to find some late-season tangelos this spring. Most farmers we know are finished with their crop. But not at Garcia – they’re sizing up and super duper juicy and sweet! Store on the counter. Grown organically by Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook.
The vast majority of the purple passion fruit grown in California is a variety called ‘Improved Frederick’, so when we spotted this Red Rover passion fruit, we were intrigued! It's similar to the Frederick variety in taste, but with more of a squat, ribbed shape – a little bit like a beach ball. Passion fruit has two main crops in California – one in the spring and one in the fall – and this is the last of the spring crop. Savor it until the next succession comes in! Store on the counter; you can eat it now or wait until the skin turns wrinkly. Grown organically by Limelight Groves in De Luz.
Early spring is a tricky time for berries, given the swings in weather. We don't really know how many strawberries Jim at Swanton Berry Farm will have for us until they're done harvesting. When volume picks up in May and June, he can supply all of his outlets more reliably – but for now, we'll take all we can get, because these Chandler strawberries are one of our favorites. This week, they're huge! First-year strawberry plants, planted in the fall, tend to produce gorgeous, generous berries. Grown organically by Swanton Berry Farm in Davenport.
Terra Firma's spring grapefruit is iconic, living in a special corner of my fruit brain. Some early food experiences just really stick with you. Most California grapefruit growers have been harvesting for a few months now. Terra Firma is based in Winters, near Davis, and their season just started. They let the fruit hang on the trees until April. The skin shows its age after a rough winter, but the flavor and juiciness are unlike anything else. These Ruby Red grapefruit are a real spring treat – sweeter than most & an icon in my eyes. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Terra Firma Farms in Winters.
A couple of weeks ago, we wrote a bit more about cherimoya – you can read that here. We have just a few more weeks left in cherimoya season and they've been tasting magnificent. If you still haven't realized your love for cherimoya, are you eating them correctly? Wait until they're soft to the touch, like a ripe avocado, then cut them in half and scoop out the silky flesh with a spoon. (Avoid the inedible seeds.) You can also slice them instead and eat it as wedge. The Booth cherimoya has notes of pineapple, banana, and berries – just a delicious tropical explosion! Store on the counter for 2-3 days until soft. Grown organically by Condor Ridge Ranch in Goleta.
Like the strawberry growers, Coastal Moon is taking blueberry harvest week by week, sending us everything they've got. Right now they're picking the biggest, ripest, most flavorful San Joaquin blueberries of the early season – and these berries are truly giant. Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Coastal Moon Farm in Freedom.
Late-season blood oranges are hard to come by; late-season bloods with good acid are basically impossible. I like sweet things, but it’s really all about flavor and balance. Against the odds, these Tarocco blood oranges from Fallbrook have a really nice sweet-tart balance, bringing out the tart berry notes that are so quintessential in a great blood orange. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Beck Grove in Fallbrook.
Limelight’s Tango mandarins have been so good. They stand apart from the Tangos grown in Northern California and the central valley. These are super thin-skinned (but still easy to peel!) and they have a really nice sweet-tart balance of juice. I’m lovin’ these late Tangos. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Limelight Groves in De Luz.
