HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 Otow Orchard hours for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 2024

Shortened hours for just one day.

                Thurs. Nov 28:   Open 11:00 am   Closed  3:00 pm

 

🍑🍎🍏🍅🥒🍐

We love this time of year.  A time of remembering so many who have helped us have a successful year and business.  A big THANK YOU  to customers, workers, family and friends  who are faithful to support us through long hot summers and on cold and sometimes very wet days.  

💖 👫 👪 🙏 👷🚜

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU.  HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. 

Regular hours will resume on Friday Nov. 29, 2024. 

 

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

            Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

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

Persimmon: 

    Hachiya:  Popular persimmon.  Until soft it is very astringent.  Hachiya are tall and pointed like an acorn.  These are often used in cookies, breads, and puddings.  Many people enjoy just eating them out of hand or pairing them with ice cream, smoothies, or oatmeal.  This is also the variety most commonly used to make hoshigaki (Japanese hand dried persimmons).   Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp is also available.  

    Gyombo, (Giombo) :  Similar to Hachiya. These can not be eaten when hard.  They become soft and very sweet with time.  More liquid y but sweeter than Hachiya persimmons.  More mild flavor.

    Fuyu:  Very popular persimmon. They are always sweet and usually eaten hard like an apple.  Fuyu can also be sliced or added to salads.  As we go through the season they get bigger and sweeter and the skin goes from yellow to orange.

     Maru:  Sweet, round, brown fleshed persimmon. Can be eaten hard and crunchy or when it is softer and sweeter. Only when pollinated do they become brown and sweet.  We try to display only the sweet ones 😋but may occasionally miss.  😝. 

    Nagamaru, Tsurunoko, Chocolate:  Three names.  Sweet, dark brown fleshed persimmon.  It is orange skinned and a tall oblong shape.  Can be enjoyed hard or more soft.  Only when pollinated do they become brown and sweet.  We try to display only the sweet ones 😋but may occasionally miss.  😝. Whether pollinated or not, Nagamaru will be sweet when soft. 

    Hyakume:  This persimmon is often referred to  as cinnamon due to its light coloration and speckles  in the flesh.  Tasty with nice sweet flavor.   Only when pollinated do they become brown and sweet.  We try to display only the sweet ones 😋but may occasionally miss.  😝.  The Hyakume that we suspect are more astringent are treated with vodka to make them sweet. 😋

Pomegranates:

    White Pomegranates:  Light skinned with pink arils.  Sweet with small core.

    Red Wonderful Pomegranates:  Traditional pomegranates with sweet tart, deep red arils.

    Ambrosia Pomegranates: Pink skinned with pink arils.  Sweet tart arils. (Limited supply.)

 

Apples:

    Granny Smith:  Light green skin over white flesh.  Sweet, tart, and crisp.  Great for cooking and baking.  It retains its shape.  Also enjoyed eaten out of hand. 

Quince:  Firm yellow fruit, always tart, wonderfully aromatic.  Used for jam, jelly, candy, and sauce due to its high pectin content. Often added to stews.

Asian Pears:  Asian pears should be enjoyed while firm and crisp like an apple.

        Shinko:  Firm, sweet and crisp pear.  Brown skin with outstanding flavor and floral fragrance. Eat out of hand or slice and add to salads.  Good for storage.

         Okusankichi:  Large brown Asian pear. Crisp and juicy.  This is a winter keeper and is not as sweet as the earlier varieties.  Very refreshing. Thick skin with course white flesh. Flavor improves with storage.

 

Hoshigaki :  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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. Early season hoshigaki is currently available in the farm stand.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  For mail orders, click on the Hoshigaki/Persimmons tab at the top of this blog post to get the mail order form.

Winter Squash:

         Butternut:   One of the most popular winter squashes because of its generous flesh.  The seeds are contained in the bulbous end and the neck is all flesh.   It has a sweet nutty flavor.  It can be roasted, steamed, baked  and chopped into soups, stews, casseroles and curries.  Flavor a can be savory or sweetened with syrup and butter.  

    Acorn: Green or orange skin with longitudinal ridges.  It has sweet yellow orange flesh inside.

Chili peppers: Aji Amarillos, Jalapeno, and Buena Mulata.

    Tomatillos: Look like a green tomato in a papery husk.  Often used in salsa, sauces and soups. Can be sliced into salads.  (Limited supply.)

Local Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Honey is an easy, local, and practical gift idea.

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

Here is what we have from other producers:

Pleasant Hill Farm:  in Lincoln.

     Satsuma Mandarins:  Easy to peel, sweet mandarins from the foothills of Placer County.  You will find both the regular yellow orange skinned variety and the reddish orange skinned mandarins. The yellow ones are citrus y sweet/tarp full of juice.  The red ones are more mild with less tartness.

Sunnyslope Farm  in Granite Bay, conventional farming:

    Granny Smith Apples:  Light green skin over white flesh.  Sweet, tart, and crisp.  Great for cooking and baking.  It retains its shape when cooked. Also enjoyed eaten out of hand or added to salads.

WoodRose Country Garden
 in Granite Bay, organic practices:

        Arugula: spicy aromatic greens (Limited supply.)

        Sweet peppers:  Green, orange and purple skinned.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

Mihara Farm in Lincoln, conventional farming:

    Chestnuts 

 

 

 

 

Master Gardener's 2025 calendar:  This is a gardener's companion calendar.  It tells how to cared for your garden and gives a timeline of suggested garden activities. (Limited Supply.)

 

The California Persimmon Recipe Book:  Introduction to basic persimmon knowledge followed by recipes for the different types of persimmons.

 

  I don't recall a year with so many apricots. I searched the internet for what to do with apricots.   I found a tempting photo of Apricot Clafoutis by Oventales.  The recipe was easy enough and the results were delicious.  I will make this again with apricots or other fruit, like European plums.

Santa Rosa plums are starting their season. They are already sweet, juicy, fragrant and flavorful.   These plums are an all time favorite for so many folks.  Many recall the tree planted in their childhood backyard and in many cases, continue the tradition. 

We finished the early peaches and are now waiting for the next varieties to mature. Regina, Red Haven and Flavorcrest should begin harvest by the end of June.  These three varieties are yellow freestone peaches. We are hoping for a bigger harvest than last year. 

I have tasted the first cherry tomatoes. They are slow to start but this warm weather should give them a boost.  Hope I can sell my first basket full this week. There are many green standard tomatoes on the vine. I'm hoping to have some to sell by mid July.   The Japanese cucumbers are getting a jump start.  We are harvesting a box of them a day.  These cucumbers are seedless and thin skinned.  They have wonderful fresh cucumber flavor.  Many people enjoy them for a healthy cold crunchy snack.  Of course they are great in salads, sandwiches and just sliced.  We will be getting peppers, eggplant and beans from the garden in a few weeks.

The first of the figs for the year have suddenly arrived.  It will be a short season.  In August, we are expecting the second fig crop.

We were able to get some persimmon trees to sell.  Let us know if you want a Fuyu or Hachiya persimmon tree to plant.

 We continue to have a supply of hoshigaki (Japanese dried persimmons) in the freezer.  These are sweet and tender with traditional persimmon flavor.  They are coated  with hoshigaki sugar.  A sweet treat.  They are available at the farm stand.  Mail order may restart when the weather cools down.

REGULAR HOURS

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

            Sunday: 11:00 to 5:00

Closed on Mondays

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

Plums:  Santa Rosa: Sweet, and juicy, One of the all time  most   popular  varieties.  They are very flavorful and fragrant.   Don't miss out.

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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. The hoshigaki is available in the farm stand. You may drop in for on farm pick up.  Contact us for large on-farm pick-up orders. (916) 791-1656 or email at otowochard@yahoo.com.  Mail orders may restart when the weather cools.

Valencia Oranges:  These oranges have thin skin and high juice content. Used for  juicing or fresh eating.  Slice them in half and cut them into smiles.😋

Persimmon:  Frozen Hachiya persimmon pulp.

Apricots:    

   Royal: Sweet tart apricot with a background of honey when soft (limited supply).

   Patterson: Large firm apricot with good flavor (limited supply).

Figs:   The first crop, Breba, is now available for a short time.  

    Black Mission figs are dark, with sweet fig flavor.  Popular variety.

    Panache or Tiger Stripe figs have red strawberry pulp. Very popular for it's sweet berry-like flavor.

Summer Squash:  Green and yellow zucchini. Very fresh and easy to cook.

Japanese cucumbers:  Seedless and tender. So crisp and refreshing as  a snack on a warm summer day.We love the flavor of these cucumbers and are always sad when they are gone. 

Sungold cherry tomatoes:  Sweet orange cherry tomatoes.  Fruity flavor. The most popular cherry tomato at our farm for years. (Limited Supply).

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

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

Here is what we have from other producers:

Mihara Farm in Newcastle, conventional practices:

    Black Beaut Plums:  Sweet tart plums with dark skin and yellow-red flesh. Very juicy when soft.

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, conventional practices:

    Flavorcrest Peaches:  Yellow freestone peaches.  Juicy and firm sweet tart flesh.  (Limited Supply.)

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.  Limited supply.

SUMMERTIME FADING

         Nature is transitioning to the next season.  Not quite persimmon season.  Many have been asking about persimmons.  Looks like we will  have a better crop than last year.  The fruit are beginning to change from green to a hint of orange.  Normally the brown fleshed persimmons are the first to mature.  A few may show up at the farm stand by the end of September.     

    Fig trees are happily producing brown, black and green skinned figs.  We have many coming from our trees as well as from Lupi Farm in Granite Bay.  All are grown without sprays.

 

    While many wineries are preparing to crush grapes, we are harvesting table grapes.  We have sweet yellow Thompson seedless grapes, sweet seedless Red Perlett, and the ever popular dark seeded Kyoho grapes. WoodRose Country Garden brings us the sweet traditional Red Flame grapes.

    There seems to be olives this year.  We are currently selling green Manzanella olives.  These are raw and need to be processed by your traditional method.  We harvest a bit early to avoid the olive fruit fly hatch.  So don't delay if you want to process some olives.

    Apple season is officially here with Gala apples.  These are yellow apples with a red blush. They are sweet, juicy and crisp.  The Red delicious are starting to come off the trees.  Ours are fresh, sweet, crisp, and juicy.

    In the area of pears, we are harvesting both European and Asian varieties.  The Bartlett pears are loosing their green color and turning a delicious yellow with smooth texture and sweetness.  The Asian pears we have are 20th Century, New Century, and Yoi.

    People are asking about Jujube.  They are getting some color now.  They should be available by the last week of September.

    Summer gardens are slowing down. I definitely see a decrease in the size and quality of tomatoes.  This happens near the end of the growing season.  Tomatoes may be smaller and uglier but they still possess that standout flavor that we crave.  The summer squash plants are tired.  Now and then we still get a few zucchini or yellow squash. Beans, cucumbers, and eggplant are still giving us a good production.

    The winter squashes are showing their colors.  They are ready for your roasting, steaming  and stewing along with seasoning of your choice.  We currently have Butternut, Kabocha,  Delicata and Spaghetti squashes.  WooddRose Garden has added  a new variety called Shark Fin.  It is a green Asian Spaghetti squash.  The noodles inside are clear and resemble the Shark Fin used in Asian soups.

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

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

Hoshigaki:  Currently sold out. These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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.  Hoshigaki processed in 2022 have sold out.  We normally begin peeling persimmons in October.  The early hoshigaki may be available in November. You may contact us for on-farm pick-up orders.  Look for the mail order form online in October. Mail order shipments do not usually begin until December.

Plums:  Empress :  A freestone, yellow-fleshed European plum with blue/purple skin.   They are sweet and meaty. Used for cooking, baking preserving and eating fresh.

Apples:  

        Gala: Sweet, crisp and juicy with a floral aroma.

        Red Delicious:  mild sweet, firm-crisp with a pleasant flavor and texture.

Grapes:  

    Kyoho:  Very sweet large purple grapes with concord-like flavor. Seeded.  

     Red Purlett :  seedless, sweet, red grapes. 

    Thompson Seedless:  yellow green grapes that are tart or intensely sweet.

Asian Pears:  

    20th Century:  Yellow, round pear known for being sweet, tender, crisp, and juicy. Great for snacking or adding to salads.

    New Century:  Large, round, sweet pear with sturdy texture. Great for snacking or adding to salads.  It has yellow skin and white flesh.

    Yoi:   This is a brown-skinned, fine-textured, crisp, sweet and juicy pear. The flavor has a hint of butterscotch.

Figs:  

    Black Misson:  Very popular variety with mild sweetness. When ripe it is moist yet chewy with rich flavor.

    Panache:  Green striped fig often referred to as Tiger Stripe.  Sweet, fragrant fig with a hint of raspberry.

    Brown Turkey:  Brown fig with shades of green and yellow.  When ripe, this fig is soft, sweet and jammy.

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:   Supply is low for the moment.

Tomatoes:   Slicing, salad and colorful tomatoes.  All vine ripened and full of flavor.  This late in the season, sizes and quality are declining but the flavor is still there.

Cherry Tomatoes:

    Sungold, Sweet 100,  Black Cherry, Napa Rose, Rosalita, Yellow Pear.  Limited supply.

Chili Peppers:   Aji Amareto, Buena Mulata, Jalapenos, and Shishito---All limited supply.

Cucumbers:  

    Japanese cucumbers are thin skinned, crisp, seedless and sweet.

    Armenian cucumbers are firm, and crisp.

Japanese Eggplant:  These have a long shape with thin skin.  It has tender flesh with delicate flavor and few seeds.

Sweet Peppers: Green, yellow and purple varieties.

Okra: When we pay attention, we harvest tender pods.

Long Beans:  Similar in taste to green beans.   Texture is more tender.

Winter Squash:   Delicata:  This is a cylindrical green or orange striped squash.  It  has sweet, creamy flesh and edible skin.  It can be roasted, steamed, baked, microwaved, sauteed or stuffed.  The seeds are edible when toasted.

Olives: Manzanilla olives are meaty with a slight nutty flavor when processed. These are raw green olives and must be processed by your traditional method.  We harvest a bit early to avoid the olive fruit fly hatch.  So don't delay if you want to process these olives.

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden  in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    Summer squash, eggplant, okra, carrots, beans, colorful bell peppers, potatoes, and colorful Bell peppers.

    Seasoning:  basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, fresh garlic

    Tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. Sun-dried San Marzano tomatoes.

    Winter squash:  Butternut, Spaghetti, and Shark Fin (Asian spaghetti squash)

    Grapes:  Red Flame grapes are a crisp, grape with skin color from deep red to dark purple.  It is sweet and seedless.

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay: Honey  🍯. Top of the Hill Apiary also has bees wax 🐝. 

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay, Conventional practices:  Tra Zee peaches.  These are large, tree ripened, juicy, sweet peaches. They are a yellow freestone peach with dark red skin and a firm texture. They are the last variety of the season. We have a limited supply.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. Production is low.  As days get shorter the chickens go through molting. This is the process of loosing old feathers and regrowing new feathers.  During this period, egg laying decreases and chickens concentrate on storing nutrients for the next season.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:

    Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes

     Red Russian Kale, Dino Kale, Curly Kale, and Swiss Chard.

     Kaboch, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).  Butternut winter squash

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay, no spray:    Black Mission Figs :  Black skinned, sweet, chewy flesh.

Mihara Farm  conventional farming in Newcastle, CA:  Kiwi from Mihara Farm.

DO YOU HAVE PEACHES?

 We have been getting one question lately.  "Do you have peaches?"  Sometimes the answer is "yes" and often the answer is "just a little".  Yesterday the answer was "no".  But now it is today and the answer is "just a little".  So, well... it just depends.  The crop has been very small for  peaches, plums, pluots and apricots.  And the fruit that did grow was not of high quality yet customers have told us that they still taste better than most. On the bright side are local supportive farmers.  Sunnyslope Farm will be bringing in 3 more varieties of peaches.  Mihara Farm brought us Elephant Heart plums.

 

If you were to ask us for tomatoes, the answer would be "yes".  For the time, tomatoes are big and juicy and plentiful.   There are big beautiful juicy slicers, luscious heirlooms, and a multitude of colorful tomatoes to add interest to your plate.  If you need San Marzano paste tomatoes for your special sauce recipe, there is a good supply.  Now is a good time to sun dry some San Marzano tomatoes for winter use.  My daughter and I will be busy making stewed tomatoes and sauce.  We used to can tomatoes but now the freezer is more convenient.

 

Gardens are still producing boxes of squash, cucumbers and beans.  The Okra is just getting started, and is so popular with customers. WoodRose Country Garden brings us beautiful slicing, heirloom and San Marzano tomatoes. Also herbs, beans, carrots, peppers, okra, squash, basil, potatoes, and onions.  Kale,chard and kabocha are coming from Kijani Farm.

What's next. grapes, Asian pears, pears and apples. The start of our Kyoho (purple seeded) grape harvest was delayed because the earliest ones were shriveled by the last heat spell.  They are now ready for sale.  Kikusui, an early yellow Asian pear, is also being harvested. Graventein apples are finished but the Gala apples are now ready. Lupi Farm  brought us an early harvest of D'Anjou pears. 

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00 am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

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

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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.  They should be stored in the  freezer if not consumed within a day and definitely kept cool at all times.  You may purchase these at our farm stand.

Plums:  Limited supply.  You may have to ask.

Peaches: Very limited supply. 

Apples:  Gala: Sweet, crisp with a floral aroma.

Grapes:  Kyoho:  Very sweet purple grapes with concord-like flavor. Seeded.                                Red Purlett :  seedless, sweet red grapes.

Asian Pears:   Kikusui: early yellow skinned, sweet, crisp pear. (In past years I referred to this pear as Kosui. The internet tells me Kosui is a brown skinned pear.  So for now, I will refer to it as Kikusui. Only my Dad could tell me but he has been gone for a long time.)

Eureka Lemons:  These are the tart lemons.  Great for lemonade or Lemon Meringue Pie.

Pluots:  Flavor Granade-Limited supply

Figs:  Gone for now.  Waiting for the next crop, probably late August .   

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm:   Supply is low for the moment.

Dehydrated grapefruit and lemon slices

Tomatoes:   Slicing, salad and colorful tomatoes.  All vine ripened and full of flavor.

Cherry Tomatoes:    Sungold, Sweet 100,  Black Cherry, Napa Rose, Rosalita, Yellow Pear.

Chili Peppers:   Aji Amareto, Buena Mulata, Jalapenos, and Shishito---All limited supply.

Summer Squash: Patty Pan Scalloped squash, Crook neck,  yellow, green and striped zucchini.  Extra large hard skinned zucchini are also available.

Cucumbers:  Japanese cucumbers are thin skinned, crisp, seedless and sweet.   Armenian cucumbers are firm, and crisp.

Japanese Eggplant:  Thin skinned, tender and few seeds.  Subtle flavor.

Sweet Peppers:

Okra: When we pay attention, we harvest tender pods.

Long Beans:  Similar in taste to green beans.   Texture is more tender.

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden  in Granite Bay, organic practices:  Summer squash, eggplant, okra, carrots, beans, onions, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, fresh garlic, Armenian cucumbers, colorful bell peppers, potatoes, slicing tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, San Marzano paste tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. Sun-dried San Marzano tomatoes.

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay: Honey🍯. Top of the Hill Apiary also has bees wax 🐝.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens. Production is a little slow during the high heat.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:  Red Russian Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard. Kijani Farm brought us our first offering of Kaboch, Japanese winter squash (pumpkin).

Lupi Farm in Granite Bay, no spray:  D'Anjou pears.  These pears need to ripen at room temperature for about 2 weeks. They become sweet with mild flavor and a firm texture.  Eat out of hand or add to salad.

Mihara Farm  conventional farming in Newcastle, CA:  Elephant Heart 💖 Plums:  Sweet red fleshed plums.  We also have Kiwi from Mihara Farm.

SUN KISSED TOMATOES

 Tomatoes were just waiting for the warm weather.  Tomatoes are now at the peak of the harvest.  That is to say we have a large selection: slicers, salad size, heirloom, cherry, colorful, and sauce tomatoes.  They are so tasty and juicy with just the right texture.  It is a good time to freeze, can or dry these summer time gems for enjoyment in winter soups and stews. At this time we are letting quantities ago for discounted prices.

The Japanese cucumbers are starting to get a little smaller.  The Armenian cucumbers are  enjoying this season.  A few are short but many are very long.  When the Japanese Uri is not available, Armenian cucumbers are often substituted for them in America.  These make firm, crisp Japanese pickles.  Armenian cucumbers can be used in salads, in stir fries, for dipping and just for munching.

Don't wait too long or you may miss out on the Suncrest peaches.  These beautiful juicy peaches are coming from Sunnyslope Farm, a conventional farm in Granite Bay.  They will be gone in a week.  After that, there will be a few other varieties of peaches from Sunnyslope Farm.

Otow Orchard peaches continue to struggle. Very few are left.  We should be transitioning into fall fruit in a couple weeks with apples, Asian pears and figs.  Winter squashes are starting to take shape.

The gardens are finally producing fresh, tender long beans. A  great addition to stir fries.  They also make a good summer salad. I like to boil and cool them off before adding salad dressing.  Slowly we are getting a few tender Okra.  These plants struggled for a long time, and may have a discouraging production this year.  Japanese Eggplant, however, are quite happily producing a tasty, tender, thin skinned vegetable.

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

Armenian Cucumbers

Slicing Tomatoes

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

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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.  They should be stored in the  freezer if not consumed within a day and definitely kept cool at all times.  You may purchase these at our farm stand.

Plums:  Limited supply.  You may have to ask.

Peaches: Very limited supply. 

Apples:  Gravenstein are sweet tart with aromatic fragrance. Wonderful flavor and is often used for baking and sauces.

Wild Blackberries:  With the heat, these will have a short season. Flavorful, sweet, and juicy.

Valencia Oranges:   Juicy, sweet with some tartness.  These are juicing oranges and also good for eating fresh

Yellow Grapefruit:   Sweet, tart, and flavorful with a wonderfully bitter background.

Eureka Lemons:  These are the tart lemons.  Great for lemonade or Lemon Meringue Pie.

Figs:  Gone for now.  Waiting for the next crop, probably mid to late August .   

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm

Dehydrated grapefruit and lemons

Tomatoes:   Slicing, salad, colorful, and cherry tomatoes.  All vine ripened and full of flavor.

Summer Squash: zucchini and yellow squash.  Extra large hard skinned zucchini are also available.

Cucumbers:  Japanese cucumbers are thin skinned, crisp, seedless and sweet.   Armenian cucumbers are firm, and crisp.

Japanese Eggplant:  Thin skinned, tender and few seeds.  Subtle flavor.

Okra: When we pay attention, we try to  harvest tender pods.

Long Beans :  Similar in taste to green beans.   Texture is more tender.

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden  in Granite Bay, organic practices:  melons, summer squash, eggplant, okra, onions, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, fresh garlic, Armenian cucumbers, bell peppers, potatoes, beans , snow peas, slicing tomatoes, San Marzano paste tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes. Ambrosia melons and watermelons.

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay: Honey🍯. Top of the Hill Apiary also has bees wax 🐝.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay:  Suncrest peaches: Yellow freestone peaches with red flesh, juicy and sweet.  Great flavor.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:  Red Russian Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard, Beets.

An immature Red Kuri Squash

SUNCREST PEACHES

    Often considered the best peach, Suncrest peaches have arrived.  The Suncrest are coming from our neighbor, Sunnyslope Farm, in Granite Bay.  This is a conventional farm.  Its growing practices are like those of the  produce you see at the super market except the peaches are left on the tree long enough to fully mature. Tree ripened fruit has the right texture and flavor.  These Suncrest peaches are juicy and sweet.  The flesh is soft to sturdy and has a give to it that releases the juice. The inside is streaked with red flesh.

 

We anticipate having Suncrest peaches for 7 to 10 days.  Then the peach sales will once again be limited unless the neighbors find some hidden gems.

WoodRose  Country Garden is bringing us Ambrosia melons and yellow fleshed watermelons.  Ambrosia melons look like a cantalope. They are sweet, tender and juicy.

 

Wild blackberries from our farm are still available.  These are small and mighty. Sweet, juicy, and flavorful.   The temperature has been so high that many of the blossoms are drying up before they can form fruit.  It may be a short season for blackberries this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOURS:

Tues through Sat  10:00 am to 6 pm 

Sunday  11:00am to 5:00 pm

CLOSED ON MONDAYS 

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

Hoshigaki:  These are whole dried persimmons.  They were hand massaged while they dried 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.  They should be stored in the  freezer if not consumed within a day and definitely kept cool at all times.  You may purchase these at our farm stand.

Plums:  Limited supply.  You may have to ask.

Peaches: Very limited supply. 

Apples:  Gravenstein are sweet tart with aromatic fragrance. Wonderful flavor and is often used for baking and sauces.

Wild Blackberries:  With the heat, these will have a short season. Flavorful, sweet, and juicy.

Valencia Oranges:   Juicy, sweet with some tartness.  These are juicing oranges and also good for eating fresh

Yellow Grapefruit:   Sweet, tart, and flavorful with a wonderfully bitter background.

Eureka Lemons:  These are the tart lemons.  Great for lemonade or Lemon Meringue Pie.

Figs:  Gone for now.  Waiting for the next crop, probably in August.   

Honey 🍯 from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard. Bee pollen from bees 🐝 at Otow Orchard.

⚘ Calendula  Salve and Lip Balm

Dehydrated grapefruit and lemons

Tomatoes:   Slicing, salad, colorful, and cherry tomatoes

Summer Squash: zucchini and yellow squash

Cucumbers:  Japanese cucumbers are thin skinned, crisp, seedless and sweet.   Armenian cucumbers are firm, and crisp.

Japanese Eggplant:  Thin skinned, tender and few seeds.  Subtle flavor.

Okra

Long Beans 

Here is what we have from other producers:

WoodRose Country Garden  in Granite Bay, organic practices:  melons, summer squash, eggplant, okra, onions, basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, fresh garlic, Armenian cucumbers, bell peppers, potatoes, beans , snow peas, tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.  Limited supply of nectarines.

Double Delight Nectarine

Top O' the Hill Apiary in Granite Bay: Honey🍯. Top of the Hill Apiary also has bees wax 🐝.

La Bella Vito Farm in Loomis is bringing us fresh🥚 eggs from pastured 🐔🐔chickens.

Sunnyslope Farm in Granite Bay:  Suncrest peaches: Yellow freestone peaches with red flesh, juicy and sweet.  Great flavor.

Kijani Farm in Granite Bay, organic practices:  Red Russian Kale, Dino Kale, Swiss Chard, Beets.

Suncrest peaches

Long beans