Heron Party

FARM NEWS

Near the creek sits a field of mixed vegetables. Each variety of kale, chard and lettuce shines a different red or green. The harvest crew is quietly working away with the exception of one man who is whistling a beautiful tune that carries across the fields. Beyond them is the creek, which is lined with cottonwood trees, and in those trees, no fewer than 100 white herons are perched. I haven’t a clue as to what they are all doing there, but a few weeks ago they decided that this was the cool spot to be.

Know Your Farmer: Happy Girl Kitchen Co.

Heirloom tomatoes in February? Peaches at Christmastime? When they have been perfectly preserved to capture the flavors of summer, absolutely!

Happy Holidays

FARM NEWS

Every year, about the middle of October, an infamous Excel sheet is emailed to everyone involved in operations. The topic is simple: how do we change our schedule in a coordinated way so that the efforts of each team add up to do the same thing with new timing to avoid holidays. There are a lot of moving parts that are required to operate a fully integrated food system. The farm needs to harvest what you have selected. The warehouse needs to pack those items specifically to each of your requests. The delivery drivers need to take these finished boxes and place them on each of your doorsteps and all this needs to be done with the timing and communication that empowers our teams with the information to support all of you.

Holiday Recipe Roundup: Our Family Favorites

The holiday season allows us the opportunity to gather and celebrate our beloved kitchen traditions. These recipes are a collection of some of our family's favorite around the holiday table.

Fall to Winter

FARM NEWS

A wind whipped through the farm, leaving many of the trees naked, their leaves swirling around them briefly before finding somewhere else to settle. After the windy days, the apricot orchard looked different with not many leaves on the trees and not many on the ground. I was left to wonder where exactly did they go?

Cranberry Baked Goodness

Cranberries are a tell-tale sign that the holidays are upon us. From crisp Cranberry Almond Biscotti to comforting Cranberry Satsuma Bread, this seasonal produce gem is meant for more than just cranberry sauce.  And if you're thinking of a delicious baked treat to give away to friends and family, consider this cranberry blog your one stop recipe shop.

Farm-Fresh Holiday Gift Guide

We know how busy this time of year can be! Make your holiday shopping easier by adding some local, farm-fresh holiday gifts to your next delivery.

Three Leek Recipes To Love

Though leeks are a favorite any time of year, we especially enjoy the mellow onion flavor when the air is beginning to turn crisp. Similar in flavor (and appearance) to a green onion, leeks are a great substitute or addition to your favorite onion dishes. If you're not sure how to use this amazingly diverse vegetable, read on for three delicious and comforting recipes perfect for this holiday season.

From the Farmers Market and Farm Box To Your Table

FARM NEWS

You may have heard the story about how our farm started. In 1976, my dad was a community development major at UC Davis and had the lofty goal of changing the food system.

Manage Your Service & Delivery Schedule

As your cooking habits change, vacations get planned (lucky you!) and schedules shift, we want your farm box service to keep up with your unique lifestyle.

The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook Giveaway

The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook captures the spirit of the market and the farmers who sell there. This book is for anyone who frequents a farmers market and wants to cook with fresh produce.”

– Thaddeus Barsotti

Autumn Rains on the Farm

FARM NEWS

We received a healthy shower of rain yesterday and today, under today’s blue skies and sunshine, the farm sits moist and covered with little pools of water. The ground was so dry from the intense summer that there are no pools of water on the soil, the pools are in the leafs of kale which bend with the tablespoons of water that have not found their way to the ground.

Recipe Roundup: Gravenstein Apple Juice

We are celebrating this colorful, cool weather season with a few creative recipes that highlight Solana Gold's Organic Gravenstein Apple Juice. We’ve been busy in the kitchen testing out some of our favorite combinations and have narrowed it down to these four recipe gems to share with you, our extended farm family.

Thank the Soil

FARM NEWS

Walking around the farm, I passed the field that had this summer’s tomatoes in it. It was not too long ago that the field had lines of six-foot stakes spaced every eight feet down the five-foot beds. Those stakes held the string that was allowed our indeterminate tomato plants to grow toward the sky to heights that were tall enough that when a person was standing in the tomatoes,

6 Fall Recipes to Squash Your Hunger

We've rounded up some tasty recipes highlighting the delectable flavors of sugar pie pumpkins and acorn squash. Squash is such a versatile ingredient that we've found ways for you to enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and even treats for your four-legged friend!

Opening Up Our Farm

FARM NEWS

As this farm tour season ends for 2016, I paused to think about the thousands of people who have come to our farms this year. We’ve had kids with mouths open in surprise when they see a giant field of heirloom tomatoes. People with sticky, red mouths from all the strawberries they ate have walked our land. People dancing to a band and breathing deep the farm’s night air were here too.

How to Steam & Purée Your Sugar Pie Pumpkin

I don't know about you, but everywhere I look is a pumpkin recipe - from pumpkin lattes to pumpkin pie. But to get in on the homemade pumpkin cooking action, you will need the skills to make a simple pumpkin purée. Once you have that mastered, you will be surprised how many recipes "fall" into your lap.

On another note, steaming your pumpkin is a great way to maintain the most nutritional value when you eat it. It’s also fairly quick and simple and makes for a better tasting pumpkin, whatever recipe you’re using it for.

Colors of Fall

FARM NEWS

The colder weather brings color to the farm’s crops. The Satsuma mandarins that have been green through the summer have started to turn orange. They now are visible from far away like Christmas ornaments on a green tree. The Lacinato kale field always grows in the summer with a dull gray tint to its green color. With the cold fall nights, the color has deepened to the robust kale green with a hint of purple.

Brassicas Cookbook Giveaway

“This is the book that will show you why brassicas are among your best friends in the kitchen. And when you see how gorgeous their portraits are, you’ll never look at cabbage or kale the same way again.” 

- Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy

We are tiptoeing into October and all the seasonal rituals that accompany it: adding sweaters and scarves back into our wardrobe, noticing the subtle changes in fall’s foliage and beginning to cook the delicious flavors of the cooler season.

Fall Breezes

FARM NEWS

The peak of the afternoon heat is still hot enough to bring sweat to your brow. It is during these same few hours that the fall vegetables get too hot and begin to slightly wilt under the stress of the heat. The rest of the hours in the day have been ideal for fall and winter vegetables.

Summer Questions in Fall

FARM NEWS

Our first fall squash is almost ready to harvest. Any day now, the butternut squash and sugar pie pumpkins will be clipped from the vine with pruning shears. The orange, heavy fruit will then lay right there in the field for a week or so to allow it to harden up.

Breakfast "Noodles"

It's the first day of autumn and our thoughts are turning to traditional fall flavors like apples and cinnamon. These sweet potato and apple "noodles" put a fun twist on your typical breakfast and are the perfect dish to ring in the new season!

Farm Tank Summit

Food Tank, in partnership with the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, Farm-to-Fork Program, and University of California, Davis, is excited about the 1st annual Farm Tank Conference in Sacramento this fall. The two-day event will feature more than 35 different speakers from the food and agriculture field. Researchers, farmers, chefs, policymakers, government officials, and students will come together for interactive panels.

Our chief farmer, Thaddeus Barsotti will be one of the speakers at the summit. He recently had the opportunity to speak with Farm Tank for a little Q&A session. 

A Warm End to Summer

FARM NEWS

Summer is winding down, but it’s still warm on the farm – temps in the low 90s continue. I stood on a dirt road between my winter squash and leek fields talking on my cell phone. The sun was baking the ground, and the protection provided by my wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses was not doing much against the energy that was radiating off of the dry, reflective soil. Finally, the conversation ended, and I could focus on looking at the progress of my two slowest-growing crops.

What's Your Jam?

Because we work with local farms, we offer an array of delicious jams and preserves, from Laura Ann's Blackberry Bay Leaf Jam to our very own Capay Organic Aprium Jam. But other than adding a dollop to your morning toast, a lot of people aren’t sure what to do with it. Well, do not fret, we have a few scrumptious recipes featuring this sweet treat that will spark your creativity and have you thinking of jam as an ingredient to kick your recipes up a notch.

Darn Weeds

FARM NEWS

There are not many things that are more beautiful to me than the sight of a clean field populated with healthy crops - absent of weeds. Planting equipment is always linear, planting straight and evenly spaced lines of seeds or transplants on a bed of soil. This makes it really easy to see the crop we planted. If everything is beautiful, then my carrots, which are six lines to a bed, can be seen as six, evenly spaced, green lines, separated by a few inches of dirt that varies in color from light brown to black, depending upon how long ago the sprinklers ran.

Farm Fresh Baba Ghanoush Recipes

Although it is getting late in the season, eggplants are still producing like the little overachievers they are. A lot of our customers will ask about our favorite way to prepare eggplant, and without hesitation, we say Baba Ghanoush, and not just because it's so fun to say. We're sharing two variations of this eggplant dip, one very traditional, and the other with a little twist and an ode to summer’s lovely heirloom tomatoes. Give them both a try and let us know what you think.

Thank You for Being Amazing!

Thank you! Thank you! Due to the generous support of our amazing community we were able to donate over 938 backpacks to local farmworkers' families for the 2016-2017 school year through our Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture.

Access to Fresh Produce

FARM NEWS

Many people ask us what our parents would think about how our CSA business has grown over the years. As may you know, our mom passed away in 2000, so she is not around to ask, but my brothers and I think she would be surprised at how many people get the Farm Fresh To You box. She would also be pleased that we are providing access to produce direct from farms to many households. We too are proud to bring produce to so many people’s tables.

Farm Walk

August is a time of transition on the farm, with summertime favorites still lingering and hints of fall making an appearance. All of the fields on the farm are busy right now. Some are yielding fruit. Others are being pulled into beds and being prepared for planting and others are nourishing little plants that will be harvested soon.

Fall Planting

FARM NEWS

We have a crew devoted to transplanting fall crops. When I was a kid, we spent many weekends transplanting plants into fields. Back then, it was all done by hand. Ricardo would run the tractor over the beds, dragging a piece of metal in the dirt that would open up a small ditch. One set of people would then walk down the row plucking the little plants out of the tray and dropping them at the correct spacing.

Oodles of Zoodle Fun!

At first, I was skeptical of the spiralized vegetable trend, but the more my friends raved about spiralizing nearly everything that came out of their gardens, the more curious I became. I went to the kitchen store for a simple, hand-held model, but came home with an upgraded, hand-crank version and began experimenting.

Thaddeus showing off the early zucchini crop

My friends were right - vegetables do indeed taste different in noodle form, and when traditional noodles aren’t a part of your diet, it’s a delight to have a healthy alternative to serve with your favorite sauces. Spiralized vegetables and fruits add visual interest and delicious texture to a variety of dishes. Here are a few that have been a hit with my family.

Zoodles with Mushrooms and Basil Walnut Pesto

Zoodles with Mushrooms and Basil Walnut Pesto
Serves 4-6

Many spiralized zucchini recipes recommend draining the moisture from zucchini noodles before cooking, but I find this process to be time consuming and the results not worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS:
4 zucchini, spiralized
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Avocado oil or olive oil
Basil Walnut Pesto (recipe to follow)
Toasted walnut pieces, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for 6-7 minutes, then add sliced garlic and sauté for several more minutes, until mushrooms are soft and garlic is fragrant. Remove mushrooms and garlic from skillet and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the skillet along with the spiralized zucchini and sauté for 8-10 minutes.

Add mushrooms and garlic back to skillet along with pesto and stir to combine. Serve warm topped with toasted walnuts.

Basil Walnut Pesto

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cup basil leaves (about 40 leaves)
½ cup walnuts
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor, combine basil, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt, and pulse until finely minced. Slowly add olive oil, and pulse to combine.

For a print friendly version of this recipe click here.

Raw Vegetable "Pad Thai" Salad

Raw Vegetable “Pad Thai” Salad
Serves 4-6

SALAD:
4 yellow squash
4 sweet peppers, red and orange
4 green onions, white and light green part, cut into two-inch lengths
Thai Basil for garnish

DRESSING:
¼ cup almond or peanut butter
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons lime juice (about ½ lime, juiced)
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon sesame oil

In a food processor or blender, combine dressing ingredients, and blend until smooth.

Spiralize yellow squash.

Julienne sweet peppers, green onions and Thai basil.

Layer the vegetables on a plate or in a large bowl, and top with dressing just prior to serving.

For a print friendly version of this recipe click here.

How To Add Produce and Farm Products for these Recipes To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery.

Summer's Heat

FARM NEWS

Our farm skies have been interesting to watch this past week. I spied some early geese making a “V” along the creek, and later that evening, I caught a few meteors burning in the night sky. During the day, it is usually clear and hot; other times, it is cloudy and hot, and for a couple days recently, a local fire made it smoky and hot.

Pesto Recipe Roundup - from Classic to Creative

We adore the classic, rich flavor of a traditional basil pesto, but we also have fun playing with alternative ingredients to create different flavor and texture combinations. Check out some of our favorite pestos and suggested recipes for pesto meals.

Lemony Basil Pesto
Makes about 1 1/2 cups pesto

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
4 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Wash basil leaves and thoroughly dry by patting with paper towels. Place basil leaves and garlic into a food processor and pulse until the basil and garlic is finely chopped then slowly add the oil until well combined.

Add in the pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice and process until the pesto is mostly pureed and well mixed.

Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and pulse a few times more.

Store in the refrigerator in a sealed reusable container for up to a week. 

Carrot Top Pesto
Serves a crowd

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch carrot tops, washed and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons capers
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled
2/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
This recipe is actually kind of a pesto and tapenade mash up, with nuts (which is typical of pesto) and capers (which is typical of tapenade).

In a food processor or blender, mix the carrot tops, capers and garlic until roughly combined. Add the pistachios and while blending, drizzle the olive oil in. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cilantro-Parsley Pesto
Makes 1 cup pesto

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch parsley
2 tablespoons pistachios, shelled
1-2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
You can make this pesto in a food processor or by hand. If you make it by hand, just chop everything up very fine and mix together until well combined. .

Remove the large parts of the stems from the cilantro and parsley. Put them in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to make room for the other ingredients.

Add in the pistachios, garlic and lemon juice and blend. With the food processor running, pour the olive oil into the pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix into your favorite pasta, eat with crackers, mix into scrambled eggs or spread on a tortilla.

Fennel Frond Pesto
Makes approximately 1/3 cup pesto

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fennel fronds, torn from stalk and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons pistachios
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Using a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients until smooth and combined. Enjoy on sandwiches, stirred into your favorite pasta or as a dip.


Find more pesto variations and suggested recipes for a delicious pesto meal any time of the year.  

Pesto Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado & Chickpeas

Oven Risotto with Kale Pesto

Glowing Green Pesto Pasta

Walnut-Sage Pesto Corkscrews with Chanterelles

Pistachio Pesto with Zucchini Noodles

How To Add Produce and Farm Products for these Recipes To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. 

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

Tomato Time

FARM NEWS

The tomato plants have grown to their full size. In many cases, they are a wall of green, sticky foliage, supported by stakes and string. The field is a set of tomato walls, seven feet tall, two feet wide, spaced five feet from the next wall of vines. Walking a tomato field is made difficult by needing to choose which row you are going to look at and realizing that you are committed to walking that row until the field ends – it is not possible to move to the next row in the middle of the field.

Add Recurring Items To Your Produce Delivery!

Did you know you can add Recurring Items to your regular produce deliveries and receive items like organic dairy, organic farm fresh trail mix, organic french roast coffee, farm-fresh eggs and organic apple juice? When you schedule Recurring Items they will arrive conveniently at your doorstep with the same frequency as your produce box, on your regular delivery day. Check out all of the Recurring Items we currently offer:

Organic Dairy

We have to admit – it is kind of a warm, nostalgic feeling to have your milk bottles delivered to your doorstep. We hope you try these top quality dairy products from some of California’s finest family-owned dairies including Saint Benoît Creamery and Straus Family Creamery. Add milk, half & half, sour cream, butter and yogurt to your deliveries.

Organic Fruity Deluxe Trail Mix

 
This delicious mix features huge, juicy organic golden and crimson raisins, and organic dried cherries from Hidden Star Orchards, organic walnuts from Old Dog Ranch, and organic whole almonds from Capay Hill Orchards.

Organic Pachamama French Roast Coffee

This organic French Roast premium blend coffee is brought to you by The Pachamama Coffee Cooperative, a unique global cooperative that is wholly-owned by small-scale coffee farmers. This tried-and-true blend is roasted in small batches in California and is well known for its bold, strong and smooth flavor with subtle notes of dark chocolate.

Organic Cage-Free Eggs

Our organic, cage-free eggs are produced in sunny hen houses that feature 100% natural ventilation, except during the cold winter months when the hens need protection from the elements. During the day, hens have open access to the outside.

Pasture-Raised Eggs

Pasture-raised eggs come from hens that enjoy access to green pastures during the day. At night, the hens sleep in hen houses to protect against natural predators. The hen houses contain roosts, scratching areas and hay for comfort. Hens are raised without hormones and antibiotics. In additional to natural foraging, hens have access to supplemental feed and water.


Organic Gravenstein Apple Juice

Grown in Sonoma County, this organic apple juice is made from freshly squeezed, whole, double-washed, ripe organic apples. Many of these Gravenstein apples were grown on trees that are over 100 years-old. Especially delightful for those that prefer a less 'sweet' apple juice with a tart edge to it.

HOW TO ADD RECURRING ITEMS TO YOUR DELIVERIES
Log in to your online Farm Fresh To You account at www.farmfreshtoyou.com to easily add your choice of trail mix, coffee, eggs or apple juice as Recurring Items.

From your Manage Services page, scroll down to Manage Services and click "edit recurring items".  Choose the amount of any or all of the items we offer and receive them with each delivery. Click "Update my Service" to save your changes.

Late Summer

FARM NEWS

A local wild fire has left the air thick over our farm. The hills are not crisply seen, but filtered through a gray lens. The days feel muggy. The crops continue to thrive with the warm days and cool evenings. The sun has a vastly different look as it sets beyond the hills to the east. Through the smoke, the sun looks like a huge fireball, burning just beyond the haze, and the colors of the clouds and sky are enough to stop me in the middle of what I am doing to enjoy the show.

Summer Feast On Suzie's Farm in San Diego

It's been such an amazing experience hosting farm events over the years. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with talented community members and a chance to get to know many of you on a more intimate level. We are grateful to everyone who attended our recent dinner on Suzie's Farm benefiting The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank. 

A special thank you our co-host and partner Lucila De Alejandro, chief farmer at Suzie's Farm  for a fabulous location. Kudos to chef Jeff Rossman of Terra American Bistro for an outstanding meal, Benchmark Brewing Company, Los Pilares, Domaine Artifact, Golden Coast Mead and Vinavanti Urban Winery and Pachamama Coffee for exquisite libations. Thank you to the courteous staff at CSE Event Services for their service of the food and beverages throughout the event. 

The stories shared by those who attend out events really allow us to experience the event in a whole new way and make the very best stories. Here's one such story shared with us by Farm Fresh To you member Jennifer, on her own blog Stylishly Social, and graciously reposted here so we could share it with all of you! Thank you Jennifer!!

On Saturday, July 30th, Suzie's Farm and Farm Fresh To You hosted another wonderful Summer Feast on the Farm. The meal was prepared farm-to-fork style by Jeff Rossman of Terra American Bistro. We were treated to beverages provided by Benchmark Brewing Company, Golden Coast Mead and Vinavanti Urban Winery as well as cold brew coffee from Pachamama Coffee Farmers. We were surrounded by beauty as we wandered around the farm and learned about exactly where our meal came from.

The farm location was the perfect setting to meet new people and chat with Suzie's Farm owners Lucila de Alejandro and Robin Taylor. We enjoyed the selection of cold beer and mead as well as flavorful wine while dining on Chef Jeff's delicious appetizers. The tray-passed appetizers included Heirloom Tomato Flatbread, BBQ Pulled Pork Bao Bon, Bahn Mi Sandwiches and Beet & Feta Empanadas. Yum!

We were treated to a talk from Farm Fresh To You owner Thaddeus Barsotti and a Q & A with the very passionate Lucila de Alejandro, owner of Suzie's Farm. We were then seated for our 4-course family style meal that began with a first course of Freekah Salad with Thai basil, kumquats, toasted hazelnuts, arugula and lemon vinaigrette. Our main courses consisted of Dukkah Crusted Fish with fennel orzo and Smoked Pork Tenderloin with a corn salad. We then capped off the meal with a fabulous Roasted Strawberry Tart with ricotta-thyme crema and white balsamic syrup.

One of the best things about this entire experience was that it benefited a great cause. Part of the proceeds from this wonderful 4-course meal were donated to the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank. The Director of Corporate & Community Partnerships from the Food Bank, Sandra Rabourne, was in attendance at the event as well and spoke about the many ways in which our local food bank helps provide meals to those in need. The San Diego Food Bank also raises funds through numerous other local events including the San Diego Blues Festival in September.

This dinner was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about exactly where our food comes from. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a similar Farm Fresh To You event, it truly is a great experience! You will walk away educated, inspired and moved by the passion involved in planning and preparing a meal like this from start to finish. You will also leave with a greater understanding of why it's so important that we put the right foods into our bodies and those of our children.

I’m thrilled that I was able to attend another fabulous Farm Fresh To You event and can’t wait for the next one. I’ve loved being a Farm Fresh To You member and knowing that I’m giving my children the very best options for produce.

If you ever want to talk about my personal experience with the service, feel free to visit my blog at StylishlySocial.com or drop me an e-mail at jen@stylishlysocial.com. Hope to see you all at a Farm Fresh To You event soon!

A Sauce Fitting for Summer

As kids, the long warm days of unbroken sunshine that made summer seem lasting and slow are the very things, that to farmers, make the season fly by with burgeoning lists of things to do—plants to watch and water—crops to harvest, sell and preserve.

Here’s a quick sauce that allows you to revel in summer flavor without keeping you in a hot kitchen. Preserve every last precious drop of summer time.

Little tomato, big flavor:
This sauce captures the bright, bursting flavor tucked inside little, sun-ripened cherry tomatoes. Flavor wise, they are such a reliable player in the tomato game. They’re juicy but not mealy, and their thin little skins don’t need to be peeled for sauces. Actually, the skins give a rustic charm and body to the sauce.

This calls for something shallow:
Put away your tall-walled sauce pot and grab a shallow-sided pan to let the tomatoes cook down and concentrate flavor quickly. Our favorite is a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

Free wheel with the ingredients:
It the spirit of the summer season, it’s a loose recipe that allows you to lazily use what you have on hand. If you don’t have cured olives, reach for another flavor booster like salty anchovies or pancetta. On occasion, I’ve even snuck in a cup or two of already-cooked, roasted summer veggies – eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms. Raw veggies can add a little too much liquid and bring down the intensity of flavor. It’s okay that this sauce turns out a little different every time because that’s how summer tastes.

The sauce is delicious with chunks of rustic sourdough dipped in, as a topping for tender fish or over any of our artisan pastas.

How are you enjoying simple summer flavors?

Fresh Cherry-Tomato Sauce
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
3 pints (approx. 6 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved if large – assorted types okay
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, whole
½ cup, Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
3–4 tbsp fresh oregano, leaves chopped
1 cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons or coarsely chopped
2 tsps unsalted butter (optional)
Freshly-ground black pepper and salt, to taste
Freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional for serving)

DIRECTIONS
Add olive oil to cold pan. Smash garlic cloves directly into oil, slowly softening garlic over gently heat to infuse the oil with flavor. Turn down heat if garlic starts to brown too quickly.

Once garlic is soft and lightly golden, turn heat up to medium and add Kalamata olives or other flavor boosters mentioned above and sauté briefly to warm and soften.

Add cherry tomatoes and oregano to pan. Turn up the heat to medium high and allow to simmer, cooking for 20 minutes or until tomatoes are fully cooked, juices incorporate and sauce thickens. Sauce shouldn’t be rapidly boiling but a heavy simmer is okay.

Remove sauce from heat and gently stir in fresh basil and butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

How To Add Cherry Tomatoes To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. 

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.

Winter Squash Deadline

FARM NEWS

Planting winter squash is a delicate business; planting must happen in July. This is a crucial deadline because if this crop is planted much later than the fourth of July there is a chance that the weather will cool down and get wet before the squash has had a chance to mature. This happened to me once, in my younger days, and I do not plan on ever letting it happen ever again.

Know Your Farmer: Capay Mills

We are thrilled to now be offering Capay Mills' fresh and delicious heirloom flours in our online Farm Stand. There's an heirloom-grain resurgence taking place in local communities to reclaim the flavor of wheat. Once upon a time, flour used to be milled fresh to order, and there was a multitude of tastes and textures to choose from. Today, the flour we find in the grocery stores can be stale and lacking in taste and sustenance. Lucky for us, we didn't have to look further than our own Capay Valley community to find some of the most delicious heirloom flours on the market.

David Kaisel inspecting the grain yielded (Photo provided by Sally Fox)

David Kaisel, flour miller and local wheat expert, launched Capay Mills in 2014 to develop markets and provide infrastructure for re-introducing small-scale heritage grain production. Drawing inspiration from traditional community farming practices, Capay Mills focuses on increasing the availability of traditional grain varieties, fresh stone-milled flour and fostering collaborative relationships between growers, millers, bakers and chefs. With an emphasis on 100% whole grain flour, Capay Mills sources sustainably grown local grain and mills to order using an Italian stone mill, the old-fashioned way.

Capay Mills emmer flour

Since many of us on the farm are still experimenting with heirloom flour, we decided to pick one (we chose emmer) and whip up a batch of Apple Breakfast Muffins to pass around the office.  I have to say, they were quite the success, and I definitely enjoyed the unique flavor. This flour produces a robust dark red/brown grain, high in fiber and minerals, which adds to its rich earthy flavor, texture and deep color. It is also used for rustic pastas, that may be better tolerated by those sensitive to modern wheat flours. Emmer's relatively low gluten make it a great choice for pie crusts, gallettes, scones or hearty biscuits. Give it a try and share your creations with us.

Apple Breakfast Muffins (made with emmer flour)
Makes 12

These apple breakfast muffins are made with emmer (farro) flour, delicious seasonal apples and a touch of maple syrup, which will have you dreaming of a crisp fall morning and a hot cup of coffee.

Ingredients:
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup emmer flour (spelt or einkorn flour would also work)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ plain yogurt
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup apple sauce
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
½ cup olive oil
1-3/4 cups finely chopped peeled & apples (Braeburn, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith work well)

Topping:
¼ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons of emmer flour
3 tablespoons rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with papers.

In a large bowl, whisk together the two flours, baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, apple sauce, maple syrup, sugar and oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (the mixture is thick and a bit more dry than a typical muffin mix).

Spoon batter into each muffin cup so cups are about three-fourths full.

In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients with your fingertips. Sprinkle a little of the topping ingredients over each muffin, then bake for about 20-23 minutes or until firm to the touch. Enjoy!

Lead photo of heirloom wheat growing at Capay Mills provided by Capay Mills.

How To Add Capay Mills flour To Your Delivery: CSA members - head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. The Market is open from noon on Thursday until 10 am, 2 days before your scheduled delivery day. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button "Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products" to add the products to your delivery. 

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.