fruit notes
Claire and Alison Main are second-generation farmers at Good Humus, the farm founded by their parents, Annie and Jeff Main, in 1976. As students in the 70's, Annie and Jeff helped start the Davis Farmer's Market, one of the very first markets in the state. They were early movers in the Back to the Land Movement and early advocates and practitioners of organic farming in Northern California. In the five decades since, they have been supremely thoughtful stewards of the land, working with the landscape to build a diverse environment, and explaining their roles as caretakers of the land rather than owners. In all honestly, we owe the Mains a debt of gratitude for helping to create the vibrant community of small organic farms that we now enjoy in Northern California. In recent years, their daughters Claire and Alison have come back to the farm, working in partnership with their parents to continue their work.
The Main family grows fruit, vegetables, and flowers organically, and they do it all incredibly well. They steward 30 acres at the mouth of the Capay Valley, in an area known as “Hungry Hollow.” Good Humus cultivates an amazing diversity of produce – over 200 varieties – which is why we love bringing in their fruit whenever they have enough to share. This week, we’re especially excited about their Oro Blanco grapefruit. It’s late winter, and the citrus is tasting exceptionally sweet and juicy. These Oro Blancos have hung on the trees all winter (and some of the skin shows it!), allowing them to develop the quintessential Oro Blanco profile: sweet, floral, beautifully mellow, and completely free of bitterness–plus, oh so juicy. Grown organically by Good Humus in Capay.
There are three main varieties of blood oranges commonly grown in California: Moro, Tarocco, and Sanguinelli. We’re making our way through them all this season! This week, we’re loving the Sanguinelli blood oranges grown in Bakersfield by Murray Family Farms. Sanguinelli blood oranges were first discovered in Spain in 1929 (another bud sport!) They have a distinctive egg shape and tasting notes of raspberries – I love the sweet-tart balance! With cooler nights this past week, the flesh has deepened into a darker red. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield.
We love these Fremont mandarins for their rich, sweet flavor and juicy, juicy flesh. Fremont mandarins have a delicate peel that comes off like a zipper. They don’t conform to modern-day mandarin standards because of their seeds and fragile skin, but the flavor is pretty special. Sorry in advance about the extra seeds!! Store at room temp. Grown organically by Garcia Organic Farm in Fallbrook.
California-grown Star Fruit! They may not be as sweet as ones grown in the tropical climates of Asia but this variety, Arkin, thrives in the sweet little microclimate of De Luz, California – and that’s worth celebrating. Eating Star Fruit is unlike anything else. I’d describe the texture as a giant green grape with five soft, rounded ridges. The whole fruit is edible – skin, flesh, seeds and all. I like to slice it about an inch thick for perfect star-shaped bites. The flavor has notes of tart pineapple, green grape, and ripe pear, all swirled together. Slightly green fruit leans more tart and bright, while fruit that’s turned a deeper yellow tastes closer to ripe pear. Store on the counter at room temp. Grown organically by Limelight Groves in Temecula.
Bacon avocados are a favorite green-skin variety, remaining green even when ripe. With a few days on the counter, they will soften up slightly and be nutty and creamy. It’s fun to peel back the elastic thin green skin rather than scooping the flesh like you would a Hass. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Limelight Groves in Temecula.
Ruthanne’s January harvest of Hayward kiwis is sweet, delicious, and incredibly flavorful! She and her crew pruned back the kiwi vines in a big way last year so most of the fruit this season has been large. We’re at the end of the season and all that’s left are these cutie little Haywards, but they are still delicious. We’re enjoying kiwis alongside sweet citrus for the best winter pick-me-up. Kiwis can be eaten firm or let to soften slightly. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Shared Abundance Organic Farm in Auburn.
Nagami kumquats are one of the most commonly grown varieties. Their sturdiness has something to do with it, considering they can typically hang on trees late into the spring months. If you’ve never had a kumquat, the skin is sweet and the flesh is super tart and juicy. Sometimes tart enough to make your lips pucker! It can really pack a zingy punch. Across every kumquat grower we work with, they’ve been a bit delayed in ripening this season, but we’ll see them for the next few months into the spring. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Beck Grove in Fallbrook.
