Strawberries are about to go loca.

Hey folks.  Sorry I've let this blog slip.  Been busy raising a boy to love his fresh foods.  Anyway, just wanted to through up a note on the impending strawberry season.  Most of the folks out there in Salinas have fruit on their plants.  Swanton farms has had ripe fruit for the past few weeks as well.  The good news for the Salinas Valley folks is that the last rain storm this past week barely made it south to them.  The rain for the coming weekend should have a greater impact, but word is the fruit will make it through. Of course time will tell.  But with some luck, we could see the season open up in the next few weeks.  I'll try to do a better job and keep ya'll informed.

Cara Cara Oranges are here!!

What?  An entire post about an orange?  Yes sir.  If you have not tried these beauties, then you are not living.  Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an overstatement, but still, get out to the market and check things out.  It always surprises me in winter how uncrowded the markets are.  Sure, summer brings tomatoes and raspberries, but there is more to life than nightshades (and, duh, potatoes are around year long people) and red things.  And if you need the red things, Swanton is still producing some decent strawberries.  Of course, that will soon to change with the new weather pattern setting up.  So if that is your thing, get them this coming week.  But back to the point of this post.  The Cara Cara.

Cara Cara Oranges.  Image from applesandonions.com

They really only came on the scene a few years back.  Before that, they existed, but were even harder to find.  They tend to arrive sometime between late November and and early January, like the perfect holiday treat.  They can stick around for a few months or more.  In essence, they are a red fleshed Navel.  They tend to be a bit bigger than a Navel, but smaller than a Grapefruit. Pinkish to light orange flesh.  Kind of like a Ruby, and similar in taste.  But different.  I would almost describe them as a slightly tart orange or a sweeter Ruby Red.  But more complex and interesting than that. Regardless, they are delicious and way more interesting than the typical grocery fruit.  And, even more interesting than an epic Farmer's Market Navel.  So, in short, go buy some from your local farmer.

While I am posting, I should mention that the rain is coming.  Expect some changes to come.  We need the water, so, while the rain may damage some crops (and raise prices) farmer's will not need to irrigate (lowers prices).  Prices should remain fairly steady through the period, but expect lower quality on tender leaf plants like lettuces.  Strawberries, what there are of them, will take a beating.  Otherwise, we are not expecting any terrible cold that kills off stocks.  Coming soon a mid winter market report.  Happy eating.

Water your garden folks.

Not much to say, except that you may need to get out there and give some water love to your plants.  This extended dry period is not all that unusual for winter, but often one forgets to tend their winter garden like they do their summer garden.  The ground is certainly not 'summer dry' yet, but things are not typical for early January.  Check you soil and plants, and water accordingly.  Because the sun is low and the temps are mild, you will not need to be out there too often.  Still, stop in and see how your chard is doing.

Know what this tomato relative is?  It is sweet and perennial, and gives a few winter bites when we have drought.

You may also want to take a moment and do a little weeding.  We get a lot of clover.  A bit is not bad at all, but too much will compete for both water and nutrients.  So we tend to thin them out a bit.  Another task you could accomplish this weekend is planting some new starts.  If you put some lettuces in the ground, they should be able to get established before the rain comes, and you will be making salad with in a month or two.  The great thing about winter planting is how little attention it really needs.  A bit of weed thinning every once in a while.  A bit of water when the rain stops for a few weeks.  A brief check in for damage during the heavy rain.   A protective barrier during the very coldest nights.  A some time to pick the snails and slugs about once a week.  Oh yeah, those guys love winter and they love lettuce.

Time to plant the garlic.

There is really not much better than harvesting your own food, fresh from the back yard.  All those hours of tilling, prepping, planting, feeding, weeding, protecting and harvesting finally pay.  But not every thing needs to be a lot of work.  Some things are wonderfully delicious and super easy to grow.  Garlic may be one of the easiest crops to grow, and is great for even the non-gardener.  All you need for about a years supply is a 4'x4' plot of soil, and several bulbs of organic, disease free garlic.

Loose soil is best, as garlic is a bulb plant, and will grow under the soil.  If the ground is too compact, it will be difficult for the bulbs to develop.  Once you found your spot, make sure the soil is loose, and turning in compost to get a good consistency and nutrients.  Smooth out your plot, and drill trenches about one inch deep, about two inches apart.  You will want to break you garlic up into individual cloves.  To plant, you just place a clove in the ground, with its base down, and cover with an inch of soil.  How close you plant will depend on if you want to harvest green garlic in the spring.  Plant about 1.5" apart for green garlic harvest, or 3" for no green garlic harvest.  Water lightly, and then go back inside and allow winter to happen.  You do not need to water, unless we see a long (6 weeks) mid winter drought.

Fall harvest of herbed and garlic that cured all summer long in the shed.

Around mid December you will see the tips of the plants begin to break the soil.  Around April, when they have at least 5 fronds 10 inches in length, it is time to start pulling the green garlic.  Only pull every other plant, and pull them as you plan to use them.  It will only hold for about a week, or so.  You will want to have them all pulled by late March, so the bulbs can have room to develop on the other plants.

If you planted a hardneck variety, scapes will emerge in April or May.  They look like swan necks with a flower bud tip.  Cut it off, as this will send energy back to the bulb to develop.  Scapes are great sauteed or pickled.  I think of them as a garlicky green bean.  Softneck varieties will not send a scape.  Wait until late May, June or July to harvest.  I usually pull one plant first to see how big the clove is.  If I want more, I wait longer.  If you wait too long, they can rot, so be careful.

Calendula.  Easy to grow wild perennial that happens to be edible.

Gently pull from the ground, tie plants together with their fronds, and hang in a cool dry place to cure.  You will want to keep them hanging at least two weeks, and it will reek of garlic.  I like to use my shed. Cut the clove from the rest of the plant and gently wipe of dried dirt and the outer layer of skin.  Compost the rest.

Fruit. Time for the change up.

I make a fruit salad almost every day for my wife's lunch.  I know, what a great guy.  But this is not about me.  It is about fruit.  Summer fruit is pretty much gone.  A few weeks ago, we were making a mix of strawberries, blueberries, melons, peaches, plums, apricots, and nectarines.  Not so much anymore.  Some plums keep showing up, but soon, even these hardiest of stone fruits will be moving on.  But do not fret, there is still plenty of good fruit to play with.

Satsumas.  Ripe and ready.

Sure, apples are in, but these are not my favorite for fruit salad.  Unless eaten right away, or doused with citrus, these favorites of mine turn soft and brown.  Instead, I've been looking at what else has shown up at the markets recently.  Grapes have been around for at least a month, and probably only have a few weeks left.  But some of the locals organic options are wonderful.  And don't get me started on their awesome raisins (and I don't even like raisins!)  So you have grapes.  What else.  Persimmons have started to show up recently.  Be sure to get a firm Fuyu variety if you want them for salad.  They have the rounded bottom and a texture not unlike an apple.  The pointy tipped Hachiya is astringent, and even though they are more palatable when softened, I feel they are best left cooked  for fruit tart.  Add in some figs and pomegranate and you have a pretty good mix started.

Fall sunset on Main Beach, Santa Cruz.  Empty, but for a few strollers.  not quite like the summer crowd.

Citrus is starting to show up, and this is really the final ingredient.  My favorite are the seedless Satsuma and Clementine.  So sweet, easy to peel and the perfect size for salad for one.  Or even just to snack on alone.  Valencia oranges are around.  More varieties will be showing in the next few weeks, along with grapefruits.  We are just at the leading edge for citrus season, and should see a great variety coming soon.    Lemons and limes are also, of course, citrus, and abound at the market today.  Maybe a month of more , and we will begin to see the blood and the cara cara orange show up.  Good times.

Peppers hold out a bit longer. Corn is gone.

I just put the last of the corn on my salad for tonight.  It was a pretty amazing season for the stuff, with the last harvest during the first week of November.  When the regular farms started to go thin on corn back in late September, I thought that the season was ending.  Then one farm after another popped up with their late season crop.  Some of these folks only plant the stuff as a wind break, and had very small quantities,  And because it was not in the most ideal of locations, it took a while for the plants to mature.  Viola! Late season sweet corn on the cob.  And of course, you paid late season prices.  But as long as it is sugary sweet, I say it is well worth the price.  As long as you picked the right ears.  Those worms can do a lot of damage by November.

Last week for cheap peppers.  Last month for local peppers.  Get 'em now.

As for peppers, those tropical plants are holding out.  As are tomatoes and eggplants.  Come on, it is almost Thanksgiving, and we are still getting fresh, local heat loving nightshades.  You got to love it in Central Cali.  But, get them while they are hot.  Prices from on farm this week are at $1.20 a pound (as they have been all summer), but they plan to go up to $2.80 a pound next week, as supplies will dwindle.  It is not so much the cold, as the shorter days, that will drive production down.  These guys need a lot of sunlight to ripen up to those beautiful red, yellow and orange hues.  And allow those sugars to develop.  Still, doubtful we will see much left for December.  We can expect a similar decline in tomato and eggplant stocks.

Autumn means a lot of things, including earlier sunsets.

And keep an eye out for "soggy bottom" tomatoes.  These are dry farmed reds that saw a bit too much rain and caught the blight. Some farms are selling off their stock real cheap.  While these guys are not great for eating in salad, they sauce up just fine.  And one farmer gave me a great idea, while I hemmed and hawed about having enough time to make sauce.  Throw them in a stock pot, and forget about it.  Last night, I cut about 10# of tomatoes, and did just that.  I added just a bit of Italian herb blend for good measure.  This morning, I am packing pasta sauce sized portions into freezer bags, and, yup you guessed it, throwing them in the freezer.  Not quite a gourmet as home canned stewed tomatoes, but this will work, and give me some fresh tomato sauce come winter.

Apple Season. We are smack dab in the middle of it.

Gala apple ready for picking, near Watsonville California.

When I first moved away from Upstate New York and went off to college, I experienced for the first time in my life a truly upsetting apple.  Or so I seem to remember.  I was in New York City, and I walked into one of any of the markets that carry beer, sushi and produce, and bought an apple.  It was waxed, and basically lacking in taste.  Then, a few years later, I moved to California and figured my apple eating years were at an end.  Oddly, this was well before that I realized how much I enjoy eating seasonally and locally.  I thought is was just about apples.

About a decade ago the local Safeway started to carry a variety of locally grown organic apples.  They were smaller than all the rest, but with out the glossy finish.  I decided to try one.  And they were good.  Then, a few years later, I saw some apples that arrived at the Farmer's Market that opened near my home.  Now I see them every where.  And I suggest that you go out and try some of these real apples.  Empire apples have finished off their season.  These are my favorite and one of the variety that was grown near my  childhood home.  Galas are on their second picking.  A picking that many folks feel is superior to the first.  Pink Ladies are just showing up the past few weeks.  And there are countless other varieties that are currently available.  Find some that you like and do not miss out on this fantastic fall treat.  And the nice thing about California apples is that the season can stretch throughout most of the winter and spring.

Strawberries make a rebound. But not for long.

Hey folks.  Get out to the market and get your strawberries this week.  The great weather of the past few weeks have really helped this little gems transition to autumn.  While they are far from their summer peak of sweetness, the local red fruit is doing quite well for late October.  But that should all change with the weather expected for this coming weekend and next week.  Cold and rain are going to wreak havoc on the plants and berries.  I'd expect most farms will need to close down shop, especially if we get the one. two punch that was modeled this morning.  Of course time will tell, but if you need to get at least one more strawberry fix this season - do it this week.

Preparing the Greens (kind of food related...)  in Pacific Grove on Monterey Peninsula.  

Melons and Strawberries on their way out. Tomatoes gone soon.

Hey folks.  Just a friendly little mid October note.  It looks like melons are on their way out for the season.  Some farms still have a few around, but as the crisp cooler air starts to filter into the typically summery hot valleys, melons are taking a toll.  Get your's now if you wish to enjoy the sweetness of this summer treat.  Sure, you can buy Bakersfeild melons for another month or so, and Mexican melons through most of the winter, but trust me, these are not the same.  With all that travel, they tend to lose a lot of the flavor that makes them such a wonderful delight. And it will be much harder to find any thing except the mass produced cantaloupe, honeydew and water varieties.

Still plenty of carrots.

Strawberries also took a hit.  Not sure if you know this, but after a rain, all of the strawberries need to be picked - even the green ones.  Otherwise, the molds get a foot hold, take over and destroy whole fields of this fruit.  Not to despair, the plants do survive quite well as long as the fruit is gone.  But it does take some time for these guys to set more, and even longer to get them ripe.  Add to that the shorter days of fall, and you have a supply issue.  Many of the berries producers are still waiting for the next round of crop to ripen up. Here is what you need to look out for.  Warm, hot days like we had last week.  Follow that with no rain, and continued warmth, and the season can stretch all the way through the holidays.  Yes, those religious ones at the end of the year.  More likely though, rains will come sooner than then, and after the first really big series of cold wet storms, and the farms start to plan for next year.  In the near term, expect a little rebound in supply over the next two weeks, as fair weather is expected through at least another 10 days.

So.  Tomatoes.  The Late Blight got me finally.  And got me good.  I had to toss at least five pounds of beautiful green zebras, tigrellas, black Ethiopians, sungolds and crispis.  So sad.  It should up a few days after that last rain storm, and ripped through my garden quicker than I could pull out plants.  Bummer.  And, of course, I was not the only one.  Plenty of farms had the bight take their crops.  Most just called it a season, pulled and destroyed the plants, before and spores could get in their soil.  A few were a bit luckier, and were able to quarantine the effected plants and keep some of their crop producing.  Regardless, the season is coming to a close, especially for the larger varieties.  So get your tomato fix now, before they are gone.  On an upbeat note, one grower of San Marzanos had a bunch on young plants that were not effected by the blight, so they expect to get some of these wonderful sauce tomatoes right through the early part of November.  Fantastic.

Fall Market Report.

Late summer at the Homeless Garden Project.

Okay folks, so things are starting to change around here at the Farmer's Markets along the central coast.  We are lucky enough to live within a few miles of two year long markets.  The big one is on Wednesdays from 1:30-6 in downtown Santa Cruz.  The second is on Saturdays from 9-1 on Western and Mission, at the very north western edge of town.  Both are pretty fantastic when it comes to produce purchasing.  I feel you can find some better deals on Wednesday, due to the many vendors.  But arrive early if you want the best selection and need to shop efficiently, as it becomes crowded and can be quite a social scene.  I got there at 2:30 last week and was unable to get my $1 avocados, as they were all gone.  Get out to your local markets.  You often can find the best selection and prices, as well as talk to the producers and get to know the farmer and the food.

Anyway, the purpose of this report is to give you an idea of what is out and good at the market this time of year.  Almost everything.  Seriously, this is just really a great time of year.  But you will need to plan for certain things to slowly fade away through the fall.  The first thing we can expect to go is the cucumber.  Supply is very limited right now, and most farmers expect to be completely out within a week or two, especially with the cold weather we just experienced.  Tomatoes often stick around through late October and even into early November, but the rains we just had are not good for this nightshade.  Some folks have younger plants in the ground which will do really well if we get a decent hot spell later in fall.  These are mostly plum tomatoes like the San Marzano.  Great for making sauce.  But all those heirlooms are on their way out.  The cherries are soon to follow, although they can last through some colder nights.  Oh, and the last of the sweet corn is still out there.  Lucky us who are enjoying this delicacies into early October.  At $1 an ear, I suggest eating it raw in a salad, as opposed to the usually summer tradition of grilled or boiled corn on the cob.  But it will be gone soon.  While abundant currently, we can also expect the sweet and hot peppers to back off through the next month.  The same goes for the eggplant.  As well as all the other warmth loving plants like string beans and soft skinned summer squash.  These, though, can stick around for a while if winter weather holds off.  Check out the real weather for more information on what the week and month ahead look like for us in Santa Cruz and central California.  So get your fill of these treats over the next few weeks before they are gone until next spring and summer.

So we are losing some of the good stuff.  Not to worry.  There are actually a few vendors who hot house, so you can usually find a cucumber or tomato, if really needed, at the market on Wednesday through most of the winter.  And there are plenty of other great things that are currently available and will stay that way for months to come.  This includes a variety of winter squash.  My favorite seems to change every year.  Butternuts are not really yet in, but we are seeing plenty of kambocha and delicata.  Even the artichoke and avocado, who are slowing down, should stick around through early next month.  And of course, we have all of our winter crops.  Can anyone one say root vegetables?  Those delicious golden (as well as red and    ) beets should be at the market through most of the winter.  Carrots, parsnips, sunchokes, onions and potatoes are plentiful, and should be for some time.  Turnips will arrive soon.  And we have our leafy vegetables, such as kale and chard that do well all winter around here.  As temperatures drop we should see more and more of the flowering brassicas - broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.  And don't forget the leek.  Of course, most lettuce winter pretty well in our area, so expect a good variety expect during the heaviest rainy periods of winter.  But we should not have to worry about that just yet.

These purple Brussels Sprouts are about to finish off their season.

The biggest change we are seeing right now is the availability of fruit.  There is still a lot out there, but supplies of nectarine and peaches have dwindled, and should continue over the next few weeks.  Plums will stick around for a month or so.  And to note - we have awesome stone fruit around here.  Seriously, I could not get good stone fruit this past summer while visiting in Maine.  Upon my return, the very first peach I bit into was just bliss.  Thank you Mr. Masamoto and all the California peach fanatics for giving us something special.  Back to the report - melons are slowing down, but there are still plenty of good ones out there through this month.  Grapes will dwindle in November, along with the arrival of cold and rain.  Strawberries should do well until the weather changes, but they did take quite a hit with last week's weather.  Blueberries are gone.  Very sad indeed.  Blacks and rasps are disappearing, but there are still some around.  Arrive early to shop if you need them (or just visit your local briar patch to pick your own).  The good news is that it is apple season.  So many to choose from right now, but we (being NY expats) prefer the Empire.  Oh so yummy.  Pears have arrived.  And we are starting to see more pomegranates coming in.  Finally, an abundance citrus should be arriving some time in the next month.

That is all for now.  Check back here soon for some winter gardening tips and recipe ideas as we shift into fall.