Bera Farm

Walking by Bera Farm’s stand at the Napa farmer’s market on Tuesdays and Saturdays is like walking past a jewelry store for me – all of the beautiful hues of gold, yellow, purple and green tempting me from the old fashioned wooden boxes; I must try every peach, nectarine and plum she offers, which is no easy feat during the height of summer, when the table is sometimes filled with 8 or 9 heirloom varieties of plums and several varieties of peaches.

Michelle and Frank Bera Jr., along with Frank’s father Frank Sr., farm a total of 30 acres.  They planted their first orchard in Vacaville 28 years ago, and doubled the size of their operation with a new orchard in Winters 9 years ago.  Each year they add a variety or two to test and plant more of the varieties that have performed well both in the field and with customers.

Michelle has been a regular farmer at the Napa Farmer’s market for 17 years.  Stone fruit is her specialty, and spending a few minutes with Michelle at the market provides an education on heirloom varieties of peaches and plums grown in California.  I thought Faye Elberta was the best peach, having that full peach flavor, but after tasting her O’Henry, Alomar and Trazee varieties, I can’t make up my mind.  At the height of the season she may have an astonishing 9 varieties of plums.  Try the Elephant Heart, they are both delicious and beautiful.   Michelle is one of the few farmers to grow French plums, an old heirloom variety that used to be grown throughout the Napa Valley, before grapes became king.  If you want to dry plums, this is the one to try!

Bera Farm has developed a cult following for their Blenheim apricots, a very old and finicky variety that is only available for several weeks in May and is unparalleled for drying, desserts and jam.  Her phone starts to ring in January for orders, long before the trees have begun flowering!

Perhaps most amazing is the dedication of the Bera family to the quality of their fruit.  Frank Jr. works full time for Intel and Frank Sr., a robust 74 year old, works 3 days a week off- farm.  Frank Jr. and Sr., along with Michelle, do all of the picking, sorting, packing, marketing, and selling of the fruit at farmers markets and wholesale, plus all of the maintenance required to keep the orchards healthy.

Stop by Bera’s stand at the Tuesday and Saturday farmer’s market and bask in the glory of the amazing assortment of old fashioned fruit they offer.   You will find customers swapping great recipes and sampling the full flavors of summer in California!

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Filling:
8 fresh peaches – peeled, pitted , sliced into thin wedges
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp uncooked  tapioca, crushed slightly

Topping:

1 ½ cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp  baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
 (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
½ cup buttermilk
½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  In a bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
In a  bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Blend in butter with a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.  Mix together 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the crust (optional).   Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

Rose Loveall is a member of the Napa Farmers Market board and owner of Morningsun Herb Farm.