PERSIMMONS

Gradually the persimmon season is getting under way.  We now have most of the varieties to offer.

From top left in the photo :  Hachiya, Fuyu, Maru, Nagamaru, and Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase).  From bottom left:  Hachiya, Sliced Fuyu, Sliced Maru, and Hyakume.

Other fruit we have to offer are jujube, quince and Asian pears.  

As tomatoes and cucumbers slow down we are beginning to plant winter veggies.  Broccolini, kale, komatsuna, arugula and lettuce seeds are being placed in their new beds.  Onions are starting in plug trays.  Meanwhile we are waiting for the winter squashes to mature so they can be harvested.  That will allow us to use their space to plant other winter vegetables.  So stay tuned.

      Hours

Tues through Sat  10:00 to 6:00

Sunday            11:00 to 5:00  

Closed on Monday

Here is what we have at the Farm Stand from Otow Orchard.

VEGETABLES:

Winter Squash:  Delicata is a cylindrical winter squash. It's ribs are yellow, green and/or orange.  Skin is thin and edible.  Flesh is sweet.  Can be steamed, baked, roasted, or added to soups.

Tomatoes: Small red slicers and salad tomatoes.  These fresh, sweet tomatoes are great for salads, sandwiches, and pizza.  The smaller ones and blemished ones I use in stew and soup.  Sometimes I just bite and add salt. (Limited supply.)

 

Sakura Cherry Tomatoes:  Large, sweet, red cherry tomatoes.(Limited supply.)

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes:  Bright yellow orange cherry tomatoes known for their bright fruity flavor. A summertime favorite on our farm. (Limited supply.)

Basil:  Fragrant and flavorful.  Can be used in salads, sauces and pesto. 

Zucchini:   (Limited supply.)

Asian Cucumbers:  Burpless, seedless and thin skinned cucumbers.  Refreshing, crisp, and tender.  Eaten as a summer snack, or added into salad or pickled.  Great flavor. (Limited supply.)

Can cucumbers have fun?

 

Eggplant: The oval shaped eggplants are Italian varieties.  The long skinny ones are the Asian varieties. The shiny skin is deep purple, purple or purple striped. Flesh is creamy white and tender usually with tiny edible seeds. When cooked the flesh is rich, meaty and takes on cooking flavor. Eggplant are versatile and can be baked, sauteed, grilled or roasted. Popular dished are Eggplant Parmesan, Baba Ganoush or Ratatouille. 

Okra:  Small finger shaped green vegetable.  Mildly flavored with a slimy texture when cut.  Delicious when young ones are eaten raw. Cooked, they can be fried or added to soups and stews.  I enjoy slicing and mixing them with egg and cornmeal. Then I fry them as patties. (Limited supply.)

 Chili:

Jalapenos:     Spicy green chiles for adding flavor.

Habaneros:    Spicy green or yellow chiles. 

           Shishito:  Spicy or not it is just a guess. Eat them fresh or saute them in olive oil with salt.  (Limited supply.) 

FRUIT:

 

PEARS: 

 Asian Pears: 

Shinko:   Large brown-skinned Asian pear.  Sweet flavor, juicy  and crunchy texture make it our most popular pear.

Yali:  Beautiful pear-shaped yellow Asian pear. These pears are sweet, juicy and have tender flesh. 

Olympic:  Very round, brown-skinned Asian pear.  It is crisp, juicy, sweet, and has a nice crunch.

 

APPLES: 

Red Delicious:  At Otow Orchard this variety is usually a striped red apple. Nonetheless, it is crisp, juicy, sweet, and refreshing.  Has a welcome fresh-off-the-tree taste. (Limited supply.)  

JUJUBE:  These little fruit are often called red dates or Chinese dates.  Some people prefer to eat them when they are crisp and yellower. Others wait for more brown or all brown skin to appear.  They start out crisp and begin to get sweeter and sweeter.  They are also enjoyed soft, chewy, and wrinkly. When very dry they are often added to soup for add sweetness and flavor. Fresh jujube have the texture of a sweet dry apple.  These are often eaten as an easy snack but watch out for the seed.

 

 GRAPES:                  

Kyoho:  Large dark skinned sweet grapes. These grapes have both seeds and flavor.

 PERSIMMONS:

Maru, Nagamaru, Coffee Cake:  These persimmons  are brown fleshed when pollinated.  They are sweet and can be eaten hard  or softer.  For the novice, our recommendation is to cut the persimmon to see the sweet brown flesh before biting into the fruit.  Usually less than half of the persimmon is yellow fleshed and not edible.  Nagamaru is also known as Tsurunoko or Chocolate.  Coffee Cake is also called Nishimura Wase. These are chocolate persimmons because of the color, not because of the flavor!

 

Clockwise in the photo: Hyakume (cinnamon), Nagamaru (Tsurunoko, or Chocolate), Coffee Cake (Nishimura Wase), Maru.  Sliced Maru with brown sweet flesh and a bit of yellow puckery flesh.  Sliced yellow-fleshed Fuyu. Fuyu, Hachiya, almost soft Hachiya.

 

Hachiya:  These are tall, orange, acorn-shaped persimmons that cannot be eaten till soft as pudding in a bag.  They become soft, sweet and juicy. It was suggested that you bite a little hole in the skin and suck out the contents for a sweet treat.  Watch out for the seeds.

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They are hand massaged while they dry over a period of four to eight weeks.  Some are firm, others are soft and moist.  All are coated with naturally formed white persimmon sugar.  No sugar added and no preservatives used. We strive to make the best hoshigaki without any shortcuts.  This takes time and attention during the drying season.  We are currently selling hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call us to make a pre order.  For mail orders, please see our web site in mid October for an updated order form.

Persimmon Pulp: Frozen pulp is available for baking or adding to oatmeal, smoothies, desserts or cereal. Some of our customers look forward to eating it like a popsicle!

 

POMEGRANATES: 

White Pomegranates :  It probably has a proper name, but the name has been lost since it was planted over a century ago.  We love this yellow-skinned variety because it is all sweet and the arils have a small edible core.

QUINCE:        

 Ancient fruit in the pear apple family.  It has a lot of pectin often used to thicken or gel sauces.  It is firm, fragrant and tart.  Usually cooked with a sweetener.  Traditionally used for jelly, paste and candy (Dulce de Membrillo).  I usually make quince sauce or add it to applesauce. Quince is often paired with pork dishes.

 

Local Honey  Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard is also available.

 

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:  Wonderfully thick salve for healing dry skin, bug bites and scrapes.   

Here is what we have from other producers: 

Eggs:  La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis. Fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. (Limited supply.)

Red cherry tomatoes:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. (Limited supply.)

 Butternut squash:  Kijani Farm in Granite Bay.  Grown by organic practices. Sweet, nutty orange fleshed winter squash.  Roast, bake or mash and add to soup or casseroles. (Limited supply.)