IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE FALL

 It is mid October and it should look like fall. Our orchard leaves are fading with very little color variation.  Temps have been in the 90s.  So it is encouraging that the forecast is predicting cooler weather next week.  Nonetheless, our crops are not waiting for official fall weather to arrive.  We are harvesting quince, apples, pomegranates, winter squash and all types of persimmons.  A farmer in Newcastle is bringing us chestnuts and it looks like mandarins will be early this year.

Sad to say, tomato and cucumber season are waning. In a few weeks we hope to resupply our vegetable display with arugula, lettuce, komatsuna, kale and broccolini. We are still harvesting okra, sweet peppers, chili peppers, eggplant, winter squash and an unreliable supply of tomatoes.

 

The hoshigaki process has begun.  We are busy peeling persimmons and hanging them up in the sun to start their journey to being hoshigaki, hand dried whole persimmons with a natural sugar coating.  Good hoshigaki take 4 to 8 weeks to finish. 

      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.

 

 

Kabocha:  These are Japanese sweet pumpkins.  Their orange flesh is thick, and dense. The skin is edible for added texture. Can be roasted, steamed, fried, or baked.   Sometimes added to stir fries, tempera, soup or stew. 

Butternut: Orange fleshed winter squash with sweet, nutty  texture.  Seed are located in the bulbous end, the neck is all flesh.  Roast, bake, steam or mash and add to soup or casseroles.

  

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. 

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.) 

 

 

 

Arugula:  The first of our winter vegetable crop.  Fresh, flavorful and  peppery. Tasty addition to salad, sautes, pizza, sandwiches, and smoothies.

FRUIT:

 

PEARS: 

 Asian Pears: 

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

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

 

APPLES: 

Granny Smith:  This popular light green apple is a favorite for cooking and baking because it holds it's shape and resists browning.  Although known for their tartness our Granny Smith are low acid and enjoyed fresh.  

Fuji:  Popular crisp and sweet apple.  (Limited supply.)

 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 2025 hoshigaki at the farm stand. For on farm orders of more than 1 pound it is best to email or call to make a pre order.  The mail order form for 2026 is now available.  Please read and use our mail order form if you are requesting a mail order shipment.  Click here for the mail order form.

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.

 

Wonderful:  These are the red, often large pomegranates that are so popular.  Dark red arils and sweet tart juice. 

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.)

 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.)  

Chestnuts: Mihara Farm in Newcastle, CA. No spray practices.  Beautiful large size chestnuts.  Sweet and nutty.

 

 

Fuyu persimmons

 

Katydid on okra plant