Fresh this week!
Avocado taste-test!! We included a Hass and a mystery long-neck avo!! Farmer Jay has a couple of long-neck avocado trees amongst his 5 acres of Hass and they’re some of his favorite trees! These trees were given to him over 30 years ago – so long ago doesn’t remember the variety exactly. We both agree it’s probably a Pinkerton avocado. They take longer than you’d think for them to ripen. When they do, the skin will stay green, the avo will yield to gentle pressure and the texture and flavor will be a sweet and creamy nuttiness! We’ve been loving their Hass avos – this should ripen to black and yield to gentle pressure when ready to eat. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Condor Ridge Ranch (formerly Good Land Organic) in Goleta.
If you’re like us, we’ve been eagerly tasting all the local, field-grown strawberries out there. When Farmer Poli told us he was harvesting a super limited amount of Mara des Bois strawberries, we couldn’t wait. After the weekend rains, the scars look like battle-wounds on these delicate little berries that are already too fragile for this world to be eaten anywhere besides straight out of the field. Eat these first, all in one sitting, and don’t even think about storing them in the fridge. These are harvested and handled with so much care. Grown organically by Yerena Farms in Watsonville.
The Booth cherimoya variety is one of the most cherimoya-y tasting cherimoyas out there. Extremely aromatic with tasting notes of pineapple and banana, and hints of citrus that add a pleasant acidity. Cherimoya season is winding down in the next couple of weeks! Store on the counter until the cherimoya yields to a bit of pressure (like an avocado!) We like to chill it in the fridge briefly and scoop out the flesh with a spoon while dodging/spitting out the seeds. Grown organically by Condor Ridge Ranch (formerly Good Land Organic) in Goleta.
We’re holding onto the end of Moro blood oranges. Its striking colors and raspberry flavor get us pretty excited about the raspberry season that’s to come! What’s left on the trees by this time are smaller fruit: tiny, but delicious. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Beck Grove in Fallbrook.
Another favorite springtime mandarin we love are Pixie mandarins! They’re easy to peel and delicious in flavor. The BEST Pixies are grown in Ojai. Ojai’s little microclimate of hot summer days and cool evenings are perfect for this springtime mandarin. Store on the counter. Grown organically by Rainbow Ranch in Ojai.
Encore appearances: because we don’t wanna stop until the season’s over!
Coastal Moon’s Snowchaser blueberries are struggling this year in yield and size but flavor isn’t compromised. They’re tastier and tastier every week. We’re lucky to get most of what they harvest! Store in the fridge. Grown organically by Coastal Moon in Freedom.
As citrus season wraps up for the rest of California, Terra Firma just starts to harvest their Ruby Red grapefruit in April and it’s our favorite. It’s deliciously sweet-tart, super juicy, and full of flavor flavor flavor! Store on the counter. Grown organically by Terra Firma Farm in Winters.
