Rare Fruit Finds

By Jill Klein Matthiasson: Napa Farmers Market Board Member

It’s starting to be that time of year again when, first apricots and apriums (a cross between apricots and plums) and then peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots (another plum/apricot cross) and other stone fruit appear at the Farmers Market. Stone fruit is a truly seasonal treat, and the most flavorful, ripest, juiciest fruit appears at the market for a small window from Mid-June to Mid-September. Like tomatoes, there is really no substitute for freshly picked stone fruit, so now is the time to hit the Farmers Market in full force!

Blenheim Apricots

You can start your visit at the Bera Farms stand for their coveted Blenheim Apricots. In the early 1900’s, the Blenheim Apricot was the most commonly planted apricot variety in California. However it is a slightly homely fruit, with a green shoulder (the area next to where the fruit attaches to the tree) and a tendency for the fruit to get a lot of scars, and since the fruit is very soft it doesn’t ship well. So although there were 32,000 tons produced in 1988, that number had dropped to only 4,000 tons by 2008 and the number has gone down every year since.

Because of it’s amazing flavor, with the perfect balance of acid and sugar, a number of chefs and foodies are rallying to bring the Blenheim apricot back into popularity. As one Blenheim farmer has said, “It has a complex flavor and only reaches its perfection in certain climates. It has a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, aromatics and true apricot flavor. When they both reach perfection, everybody celebrates.” Because of the limited production of this delicious fruit, they are rarely available at the grocery store, but you can find them at the Napa Farmers Market.

Santa Rosa Plums

Another delicious variety of stone fruit that will make an appearance at the market very soon is the Santa Rosa plum. The Santa Rosa plum was bred by a brilliant horticulturalist name Luther Burbank.

Born in 1849, Luther Burbank, famous for breeding the Russet Burbank potato, the Freestone peach (any peach which comes away easily from the pit or stone), and the Shasta daisy, introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants. Though he is most famous for the potato that bears his name, fruit lovers might argue that his crowning achievement was the Santa Rosa plum. Introduced in 1906, the Santa Rosa is still the gold standard for plum flavor, and though it has fallen out of favor commercially, you can find these plums at the Napa Farmers’ Market in late June and early July. And after you bite into a rich, tangy Santa Rosa, almost anything else tastes insipid.

Apricot Jam

Blenheim Apricot Jam

2 ½ lbs Blenheim apricots, pitted and cut into quarters
3 cups sugar
Noyaux (apricot kernels *see below)- 10 or fewer
juice of 1 lemon

Stir the diced apricots and sugar together in a large heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot.  Let the mixture stand at least 30 minutes, to overnight...this will let the apricots release their juices and the sugar dissolve.  Chop up your noyaux and add to the fruit and sugar (they are strong, so don't use more than 10 for a batch this size).  Put a small plate in freezer to use later for checking the consistency of the jam.

Prepare four 8-oz. canning jars and self-sealing lids, per manufacturer's directions.

Bring the pot of fruit to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom.  The mixture will bubbleup dramatically, rising high up the sides of the pot.  Skim off any light-colored foam that rises and collects on the sides.  Soon the jam will boil down, forming smaller, thicker bubbles.  At this point, start testing for consistency by putting a small spoonful of jam on the plate.  This will cool off the jam sample quickly so you can tell what finished texture will be like.  When the jam has cooked to the thickness you want, stir in the lemon juice.  Turn off heat and carefully ladle the jam into the prepared canning jars, allowing at least 1/4" of headroom.  Seal, per manufacturer's instructions.  The jam will keep for about a year.  Alternately, make a smaller batch and keep it in the fridge or use it right away.

* the Noyaux is the kernel inside the apricot pit. It has a very good, bitter almond flavor. To prepare the Noyaux, place 10 apricot pits on a sheet/pan and roast them in a 350 degree F oven for ~15 minutes.  Then crack open the pits to extract the kernel (noyaux).  The kernel is very hard, so use a hammer or the butt end of the knife...or a nutcracker.  Put the kernels back in the oven and roast them for another 10 minutes. Chop them up and they're ready to use.

The Napa Farmers’ Market is held Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:30a.m.-noon, May through October in the Oxbow Public Market parking lot.  It accepts WIC and Cal Fresh benefits.  For more information on upcoming events visit us online at www.napafarmersmarket.com and on Facebook.

Enhance the farmers’ market experience through Facebook!

By: Isla Ruffo, NFM Board Member and former NFM Market Manager

     In modern society, where grocery stores can sustain a wide array of produce from all over the world, all year long,  the awareness of what’s in season locally has become elusive.  You can buy perfectly sweet table grapes imported from Chile in the middle of December when our local climate is too cold to grow them. It’s nice to have the luxury of limitless produce year round, but it also forces us to lose touch with the seasonality of our own geographic area.

Now there’s an easy and fun way to keep track of what’s in season and what will be available at the market each week. Use Facebook to connect with the Napa Farmers Market and with our vendors, then ask them for information about produce and products or place a special order to be picked at market.  If you’d like to be better in tune with local seasonality but don’t know where to start, you can begin by “liking” the Napa Farmers Market  on facebook to receive updates of what’s new each week.  Tenbrink Farms actively uses this communication tool, and if you hit them with a “like”, you will find out that succulent apriums (apricot-plum hybrid) are now in full swing and that there’s something delicious out there that you’ve never tried, like a loquat - a unique and delectable fruit, indigenous to southeastern China, that successfully grows here in California right now, for a short time.  

You can also keep up-to-date on other market news through Facebook, such as the seasonal debut of Story Time, which begins today at ten o’clock – it’s a half hour of  animated story telling for the little ones.  You may also want to know that Napa Humane will be at the market this coming Saturday with some very special four legged friends--including Lofty, the friendliest and sweetest pup that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and who, ironically, has been at the shelter since November.

Since blueberries will be available at the market for only two more weeks, I’m including this simple but delicious recipe that I came up with last summer, which allows us to enjoy the simply beauty of the fruit itself, fresh and raw.  Enjoy!

Fromage Blanc & Blueberry Toasts

Yield: about 20 bite size pieces

-6 ounces of fresh blueberries

-1 small loaf of walnut bread

-1  half-pint size container of Fromage Blanc

-1 lemon, juiced

-1/2 teaspoon of Honey

-Sea salt to taste

-Mint leaves for garnish

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1- Slice bread about 1/8 of an inch thick so that there are at least twenty bite size pieces. You may cut the pieces in half to make them smaller if they are too big around.

2- Place bread on a sheet pan in the hot oven for about ten minutes or until they start to gold. Then pull out and let cool.

3- Wash blueberries and place them in a bowl along with the lemon juice and honey, and toss together being carefull not to damage the berries too much.

4- Scoop a small spoonful of the Fromage Blanc on each piece of toast and then drop a few of the marinated berries on top.

5- Garnish each toast with a  few grains of sea salt and a small mint leaf.

Morningsun Herb Farm

For 17 years, Morningsun Herb Farm has been a staple at the Napa Farmers Market. That’s quite a legacy for garden-planting Napans!  Every Tuesday and Saturday morning, Rose Loveall is there, helping her loyal customers—and customers she’s just met—with potted herbs and plant starts so they can be assured of strong, healthy gardens in their own backyards. For those who are new market goers, this is the go-to place for all of your planting needs.

Named after the glorious sunrise that glows over the hills above this Vacaville property, Morningsun Herb Farm has been in business for 18 years on Rose’s family property where she has lived since she was 3 days old. With the support and hands-on help of her father, mother and brother, Rose and husband Dan made Morningsun happen. It was very much a group effort, with Rose and her father at the helm. And every day is a testament to that strong union.

Supplying some of the larger local gardening shops with inventory, Morningsun Herb Farm is well known for its healthy plant starters and knowledgeable advice on how to nurture those babies into adulthood. They host two large events on their home turf in Vacaville: Open House on the day before Mother’s Day, and Tomato Day with more heirloom varieties to taste and be amazed at than you’ve ever imagined in mid-August.

What to plant now? “EVERYTHING!” says Rose.  “Honestly, this is the main planting time for all your summer veggies, herbs and even perennials. Put in peppers, eggplants, melons and squash—both summer and winter varieties—now. And your short season tomatoes, too (cherry tomatoes and early girls, for example). All annual herbs, like basil and parsley, should have a second planting now.” And for those of us who love a garden filled with blooms year-round, don’t just go for instant color. Think three months ahead and get those vibrant autumn-blooming perennials into the ground. (Make sure your watering system is plumbed up and ready to roll, too.)

Anything to avoid planting? “Cilantro. It will bolt, unless you have a really shady spot for it,” says Rose. Instead, substitute Vietnamese cilantro (aka rau rum), a shade-loving perennial that adores our climate. Who knew? Rose…of course!

Asian Super Slaw

This easy salad, featuring Vietnamese cilantro, is a favorite at the Loveall table -- and was served at Morningsun’s recent Open House.

Ingredients:
• 6 tbsp rice vinegar                              
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil                            
• 5 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce                                
• 3 tbsp golden brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced and peeled                                                          
• 1 ½ tbsp. garlic, minced                    
• 5 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced                                                                
• 1 bunch chives
• 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced    
• 2 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 2 large scallions, cut into matchstick size strips                                            
• ½ cup fresh Vietnamese coriander (rau rum), chopped

Directions:
Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a small bowl to blend.  Cover, and let chill. (This dressing can be made 1 day ahead).  Let the dressing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the dressing and toss to coat.  Season the salad with salt and pepper, and serve.