fruit notes

Hayley and Jesse grow many tasty things on their beautiful farm in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains but one of the standouts is their peaches. Their farm sits at 1,300 feet elevation, on a site just up the hill from Oroville. They’re further north than just about any peach farmer we know. I have a hunch that this combination has a lot to do with their incredibly delicious peaches.

The farm was one of the first in the state to become certified organic, way back in 1982, when it was Woodleaf Farm. Founding farmer Carl Rosato created a truly special place: a few acres of orchards woven into the foothills landscape, with nearly 200 types of tree fruits, including numerous peach varieties only found there. After 25 years, Carl turned the farm over to the loving hands of Danny and Drew, who remade it as The Peach Jamboree. A decade on, we were thrilled to learn that Hayley and Jesse had become the newest caretakers of the farm last year. It’s been reborn as Double Wild Farm, and it has now been continuously farmed organically over three generations of stewardship.

The through-line across these generations has been the nurturing of ecological relationships and the conservation of native habitats that exist alongside the orchards. Last fall, we visited Hayley and Jesse. As we climbed the lush slopes from one grove of trees to the next, we made our way through native pine and oak forest that made up the margins of each field. The earth sprang back beneath our feet, proof of the rich soil developed over decades, nourishing the gnarled trees planted many years ago.

Last week, when we tasted their June Pride yellow peaches, I knew we had to feature them. They were so deeply flavorful I had to beg farmer Hayley to harvest them for the fruit fan club. Sink your teeth into the dense flesh and it rewards you with so much sweetness, depth, and a flavor that just screams mid-summer! The depth of color matches the flavor, really more purple than red, a signature of Double Wild peaches. (Perhaps this is due to the farm’s elevation, I'm not entirely sure, but it truly is distinctive.) You can tell how much care is put into this — the peaches are harvested perfectly ripe. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Double Wild Farm in Oroville.

The Summer Grand nectarine is the second-to-last nectarine variety of the season at Masumoto Family Farm. Summer Grand nectarines are so tasty — bright flavors balanced with high sugars and good acidity. They’re freestone too! The streaks of red across the flesh are just mesmerizing. A nectarine’s skin tends to be thicker as we march into summer, proof of having seen a few Fresno heat waves. Praise the farmers who work in that Central Valley heat to get us the good stuff! Store on the counter. Grown organically by Masumoto Family Farm in Del Rey.

Grape season is ON at Murray Family Farms and there’s honestly too many to pick from. The Murray family grows over a dozen delicious varieties, many of which are new or experimental varieties developed by a Bakersfield-based fruit breeder. This relationship means they are often one of the first farms to market with these new grapes. We're starting with one of our favorites, Pizzazz green seedless grapes. (Editor’s note: these varieties vary wildly in flavor profile but they have all been christened with equally unfortunate names by the fruit marketers: Candy Snaps, Candy Dreams, Sweet Romance, it goes on.) The Pizzazz are cousins of sorts to the Costco-famous Cotton Candy grapes but, in my opinion, they’re better! They’re sweet and tropical-flavored with pronounced lychee notes. These have such a balanced flavor, they’re addicting! Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield.

The Yerena family is our go-to for sweet, local, raspberries. As we near the end of July, it’s time for raspberries and blackberries to shine. Raspberries trail behind blackberries but may linger into the fall months — sometimes as late as November. Luckily, we’re just getting started. Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Yerena Farms in Watsonville.

The Santa Rosa plum was developed by the famed agronomist Luther Burbank in Santa Rosa and released in 1906. Its fine flesh and lovely sweet-tart flavor has made it well-loved in the many decades since. Eat them fresh, or do like I do, and slip them into an equally classic plum torte. Store on the counter or in the fridge. Grown organically by Spreadwing Farm in Rumsey.

Albion strawberries are really having a moment right now, and July is their time to shine. Albions are the most popular local strawberry variety for many farmers for good reason: they continuously produce over a long season with good yields, the strawberries are classically sweet and bright red, and the texture is firm which means shelf-life is pretty good. These traits also mean they are sometimes a little meh! At the beginning of the season, the berries can be a little too big for our liking, with a crunchy texture and lackluster flavor. My hot take is that right now, with these warm (but not too warm) temps down in Watsonville, the Albions are at their prime. Super flavorful, so sweet, and the perfect size (for me, at least), Yerena Farms knows how to grow ’em. Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Yerena Farms in Watsonville.

As farmers Cathy and Michael await their many pluot varieties to ripen up, these Catalina plums at Spreadwing Farm are just taking off. Catalina plums have a deep dark blue-black skin over an amber flesh with fantastic flavor. It’s pure plum, but like a  pluot, it stays firm when ripe and sweet. With a day or two on the counter, they will show less tartness near the skin and pit. Their fine-grain flesh is sweet and juicy, making for a delicious bite! Farmer Cathy likes to wait until they soften just a tad to enjoy — if you have the will-power to wait. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Spreadwing Farm in Rumsey.

It’s been a delicious few months with these but this is truly the last harvest of San Joaquin blueberries from Coastal Moon Farm. Local blueberries are winding down and after months of the plants pumping out fruit, it’s time for them to rest. We’re grateful for every sweet bite. Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Coastal Moon Farm in Watsonville.