First hints of fall

The Valencia Pride mango from Wong Farms that made it out of the tropical storm. This rare storm caused a lot of damage in SoCal but we’re grateful to know that Wong Farms is already on the other side and cleaning up the mess the storm caused. This is the second week we’re putting these in the FQ boxes and it probably is the last as the season winds down. Getting mangoes trucked up from the Salton Sea isn’t easy but boy, is it worth it. Enjoy this nearly fiber-less variety of coconut-y and honeyed-aroma mango that is oh-so-special and reminds us how lucky we are to get the MOST delicious fruit in California. Store on the counter and enjoy when fully ripe (no green left and has a little give, like an avocado), then you can store it in the fridge.

These IFG 34 grapes from Murray Family Farm are grown organically in Bakersfield. We got so much positive feedback from grape-lovers and non grape-lovers alike that we realized this is the grape that changes lives. Or, maybe it just changed Steven Murray’s life after he tried this variety and decided to grow a bunch of other IFG (International Fruit Genetics) varieties at the farm. Either way, it’s pretty addictive once you start eating a few. Reminiscent of a concord grape but with a floral touch, the IFG 34 has thinner skin that lends to a nice snap. Store these in the fridge. 

This is the beloved Sivan Charentais melon from Sun Tracker Farm that Robert and Carine grow every year because it’s incredibly delicious. Grown organically and Real Organic Project certified in Guinda, these Charentais are fragrant, sugary sweet, and the perfect size melon to keep you wanting more. If you notice some extra scarring on the netting of the melon, it’s because their melons have gotten a lot of pest pressure (cucumber beetles and pillbugs) this season. The scarring shows where the melon has healed itself. This doesn’t usually affect the inside of the melon itself. Though there are organic sprays to get rid of these melon-loving insects, Carine and Robert choose to skip them to preserve the existing beneficial insect populations. Store in the fridge and please enjoy your melon chilled.

We can’t stop eating these delicious Triple Crown blackberries from Front Porch Farm in Healdsburg. Grown organically Real Organic Project certified, these Triple Crowns just melt in your mouth with a juicy flavor explosion. Here and there you may get a tart one, but that’s what makes eating blackberries so much fun. Our friends at Front Porch Farm sure know how to grow delicious blackberries, but more importantly, they’re so talented at harvesting them super duper ripe when the drupelets are all swollen and screaming eat me now! Store these in the fridge.

These Black Mission figs from Gauchito Hill Farm are the best figs we’ve had this season! They mark the non-Breba crop harvest that will carry us into the fall months. Grown organically in the Capay Valley, these Black Missions are jammy, sweet, ripe and perfectly crackly on the thin skin. Thea and Andres grow some of our favorite figs and know how to pick them super ripe. Enjoy these quickly or store them in the fridge.

There’s something so elegant and romantic about these Elephant Heart plums from Blossom Bluff Orchards. Grown organically and Real Organic Project-certified down in Parlier, this is a classic variety that’s one of our favorites. Such a deep beautiful red, juicy, freestone, and rich in complex flavors that are bursting with sugary goodness. Cutting into the Elephant Hearts remind us that though there are many fancy high-brow new pluot varieties out there, the Elephant Hearts will always take our breaths away. It deserves to be shown off in a torte or a galette because of its beauty and flavors that are deepened with heat. Store these on the counter or in the fridge.