fruit notes
It’s really special to have farmers cheering you on and taking on bigger workloads to help you out through big transitions (hello new fq HQ!!) Carine and Robert of Sun Tracker Farm do that and more. We (and the fruit fan club) are so lucky that our farmer friends grow such delicious melons, harvest them at perfect ripeness, and even size them to fit both fq and baby fq boxes – our heroes. On top of that, growing the Sivan Charentais melon isn’t easy! They get hammered with pest pressure on the skin, which makes for some not-so-pretty melons. Carine and Robert go the extra mile to select the nicest-looking ones, and once you’ve tasted one, as Carine says, they’re so worth it. The Sivan Charentais is fragrant, sweet, perfectly textured, and just a stellar melon. Please eat your melon chilled. It’s the best way! Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Sun Tracker Farm in Guinda.
When farmer John Lagier made his first delivery to our new warehouse last week, he was so excited to see the space he was taking photos like a proud dad. John and I have known each other for over a decade now. We met when I was slinging produce for Eatwell Farm, working alongside his stall at the Ferry Plaza farmers market. He listened as I struggled through the hard sciences while I was an undergrad and always gave supportive advice as I searched for the right “career” after I graduated. The past few years have been especially sweet because we’ve gotten to share John’s truly delicious fruits. Indisputably one of my top five fruits at fq are his Bronx grapes. Rare and delicate, Bronx grapes take their taste and flavors from their Concord parentage, while their thin, translucent skin comes from their Thompson side. They’re one of the most beautiful and delicate table grapes, with unmatched flavors: honey-sweet, floral, complex, and super juicy. Store these in the fridge. Grown organically by Lagier Ranches in Escalon.
Goldenberries, Cape Gooseberries, Ground Cherries – whatever you know them as, these are Giant husk cherries from our sweet friends Kenny and Molly at Lonely Mountain Farm. With the recent warm weather, they’ve ripened in abundance. These beautiful paper-husked fruits develop a deep golden-yellow color and drop to the ground, scattering below the bush, so you have to lay tarps down to catch them. They have playful notes of vanilla and pineapple, though a few in every pint will surprise you with something unexpected. Store these in a dry spot on your counter. Grown organically in Watsonville.
Thea and Andres of Gauchito Hill Farm grow some of our favorite figs. They harvest them just how we like them: super ripe and jammy. This week, we’re bringing back the Panache aka Tiger Stripe figs. They’ve got beautiful green stripes on the exterior and a rich strawberry jam-like interior. Figs will continue to be abundant throughout September, so we’ll definitely be eating as many as we can! Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Gauchito Hill Farm in Colusa County.
Silvia and Poli Yerena are some of the most humble farmers we know, growing organic berries with just a small 13-acre operation down in Watsonville. Unlike their Big Berry neighbors, the Yerena family are growing special varieties like Mara de Bois, Monterey, Seascape, and Chandler strawberries. By this point in the summer, their Albion strawberriesare the last variety harvested, right on until the first frost hits. The Albion is a day-neutral strawberry, which means they continue to produce regardless of day length, so long as temperatures are favorable. Special thanks to Silvia and Poli’s son Alex, who works around the clock to get everyone the freshest, ripest berries out there. Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Yerena Farms in Watsonville.
Elephant Heart plums arrive in late-summer with their deeply-dark dappled skin and bright red flesh. As with many plums, and the Elephant Heart plums in particular, they benefit from post-harvest ripening on the counter. The juiciness finds its way, the astringency fades a bit, and the flesh softens nicely. At their peak, they have a distinctive richness that practically begs to be turned into a tart or upside-down cake. A Luther Burbank variety from the 1920s, Elephant Heart plums remain a late-summer favorite a century later. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Free Spirit Farm in Winters.
The Hosui pear is usually the first of the Asian pear varieties to be harvested, alongside the season’s first local apples. It has a beautiful caramel skin and a rich sweetness finished with a crisp and juicy bite. This crisp-rich-fresh combination is such a treat. The timing of crisp Hosui pears meets us perfectly with the late summer heat in the Bay Area for a refreshing reminder that the seasons are changing. Though Asian Pears hold up well in cold storage (some say the flavor deepens) and we often see them sold long after they’ve been harvested, we prefer them fresh fresh. The harvest windows of each variety can be short, so we tend to move from one variety to the next and they’re gone before you know it! Store in the fridge. Grown organically by EarthSeed Farm in Sebastopol.
Richards is a fresh prune plum variety, similar to the more common French prune plum. Slightly larger and sweet with a fine texture, it’s sought-after for canning or drying—but I love eating prune plums fresh. After a day or two on the counter, they relax into a slightly squishy stage that’s my favorite for eating. They’re freestone, easy to eat in a few bites, and wonderfully nostalgic for me. I grew up eating unconventional plum types like prune plums and cherry plums, so these always feel like home. Fresh prune plums are sweet with almost no acidity—just how my family likes all of their fruit. Store these on the counter. Grown organically by New Moon Organics in Shively.
