Seasonal colors

Sonoma's grape harvest is drawing to a close, a true signal 

that we are shifting seasons here in Wine Country. 

It gets dark earlier each evening and we notice it is no longer possible 

to take a morning walk in the light around 6 am. 

Halloween decorations do not seem premature as October flies by, 

but the colors at our farm still alternate between signs of summer and cues to autumn.

the tomatoes just keep on going!

persimmons signal fall in the orchard

as do the juju berries 

But even as we continue to harvest our precious tomatoes, 

we know that most of what we are picking will 

soon be frozen or preserved in some way.

And as we've done with the other beds at the farm, we will clear away the 800 plants, 

refresh the soil and plant something else for our winter garden. 

broccoli and radish planted here

While we are always reliant on the weather for success at the farm, 

in winter, we are even more dependent on "good" weather, 

so we stick close to what we know works well for us at the farm.

carrots are always on the menu "at the fig"

Our chefs make good use of our carrots, whether at the bar or in the kitchen.

"The Harlot" cocktail with carrots & beets from the farm

Executive Chef John Toulze 

at the farm now, we have several varieties of carrots:
amarillo which are yellow and berlicum which are orange

amarillo carrots

berlicum carrots

Did you know there are many varieties of carrots? 

Carrots range in color from orange to yellow, white to red to purple!

The farm palette is colorful each season, whether it is a rainbow of tomatoes choices, 

all the varieties of squash, carrots and radish.

what will we see at the farm growing here?

Fruits and veggies

beans and melons co-exist in the beds
in the Orchard at the farm

The official line, as well as what your mother told you is 

"Eat your fruits and vegetables." Research shows why it is good advice:

• Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
• Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.
• Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.
• psst: and they are delicious, right?

Ever wonder how many fruits and vegetables you should eat? 

There's an official fruit and vegetable serving calculator to tell you. 

Although of course, if you are as lucky as we are, 

having the farm or access to great Farmers Markets, 

we eat as many fruits and vegetables as we can, just because they taste so good.

So, while we've been caught up in our vegetables,

it seemed like a good time to put some focus on the fruits we have at the farm. 

some of the trees in
Orchard in early spring

Our orchard, which is about 1.5 acres has 49 fruit trees including 

5 varieties of peaches, 7 varieties of nectarines, 4 varieties of plums, 

4 varieties of pluots, 3 varieties of apricots, 2 kinds of apples, 

3 kinds of pears, two fig and two persimmon trees and a jujube tree. 

It can be quite beautiful, very fragrant and 

pretty delicious in the Orchard when it is in bloom.

Pluot almost ready to be picked

Last season's apple blossoms
are so beautiful 

And this year, things are getting started. As you see at the Farmers Markets, 

the apricots seem to be the first to burst out, and ours are very happy. 

In fact, we were surprised and delighted this year to find 

that the one apricot tree in the Insectary over by 

the vegetable beds is very ripe and abundant. 

Last year we got maybe 10 apricots total off that tree. 

The other day, we picked 50 lbs of fruit already, 

so that bodes well for our apricot bounty. 

Apricot tree in the Insectary

Adds color and attracts those good bugs


Of course one of all the bugs that are attracted to our Insectary 
are important for our biodynamic farm to flourish. 
This week, June 17-23 we especially celebrate 
these "good guys"--it's National Pollinator Week. 

one of our prolific apricot trees in the Orchard

And our chefs couldn't resist putting the apricots on the menu right away.

This week's plat du jour features ENTRÉE of spinach salad with

grilled apricots, bacon lardons, candied pecans, maple vinaigrette

and here are those same apricots at your table!

Arctic Star Nectarines looking good

The rare Indian Blood Peach is not yet ripe
but when it is, the flesh is a rich red 

Blenheim apricots are prolific

Naturally, not all the fruit trees ripen at the same time.
The apricots are the stars now and the plums and pluots are just getting started.
Since Pluots are cross between apricots and plums,
we may see them before the plums, but after the apricots!
Apples, pears and the fig tree will be our late summer and fall gems

We won't be eating these Pink Lady Apples
for awhile

and the Pear trees are
taking their right time

first one of our
Celestial figs!

We stumbled upon this informative but fun calendar "freshness" disc 

that helps you determine what's in season when. 

Obviously this varies depending on where you are, but it's a good overview. 

None of us are probably eating fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes in December! 

There we are, back to tomatoes (visions of these beauties on our plate 

are never far from our mind these days...almost there), 

but we can mention them in a post about fruits, 

because you know, tomatoes are actually a fruit, not a vegetable! 

"The confusion about 'fruit' and 'vegetable' arises because 

of the differences in usage between scientists and cooks. 

Scientifically speaking, a tomato is definitely a fruit. 

True fruits are developed from the ovary in the base of the flower, 

and contain the seeds of the plant." 

So, tomatoes like blueberries and raspberries are considered a fruit. 

As far as cooks are concerned, it seems tomatoes fall into the vegetable category

 because they are used in savory cooking more often than sweet. 

So, I suppose you could say that the very popular tomato watermelon salad 

at the girl & the fig is a "fruit salad!" 

And speaking of raspberries, they are the other fruit
we have growing in the lower farm beds,
so our fruits are not all concentrated in the Orchard area

did you know the "white" raspberries are not as tart
as the more common red ones

but we will be enjoying both soon
the raspberries love this spot in the lower quad of the farm

And, then we do have some veggies going in the Orchard beds

we will grow beans, cucumbers and melons
in the Orchard beds

We mix it up at the farm, just like we all are supposed to do with our diets
Makes for great balance, and that's what it's all about, right?

Let's do the hokey pokey and celebrate our fruits and veggies!

What fruits are you finding at the Farmers Markets these days?

Have any favorite recipes to share?

Casting a spell

John and I were talking about the bewitching power of the farm 

and he cautioned me how addictive it can become. 

It's not surprising that you would want to return day after day 

during spring and summer. Besides needing to tend the plants,

 your curiosity is ripe (couldn't resist, sorry) to check the progress of what is growing. 

But, even now when the farm seems fallow and summer's bounty is just a tasty memory, there is something that draws you back. 

One recent misty morning, there was a hypnotic hush and a sense of anticipation. 

We had begun to clear the beds to get ready for the rototiller. 

Everything including the droplets of water clinging to the trees 

seemed suspended, waiting.

Just as John had warned me, I fell under the spell.

bare branches look like lace

an industrious spider had been here

I, also waited, and finally was rewarded with a bit of sunlight through the fog. 

Not quite the warm bath of light I had experienced a week ago 

but glimmers of light that perked everything up. 

Got me to meditating on how different the same thing can appear to be 

from one moment to the next.

This majestic Palm tree overlooks the lower beds
two different mornings in November.

There were not that many days between these photos of the persimmon tree

Last week John and Colby were eating juju berries off the lush tree

and then the last few cling to the branches
before a wind storm blew them all away.

As the warm amber light of Indian Summer changed
to the sharper golden rays of Autumn, 

we were harvesting winter squash and
enjoying the deep fall colors, grabbing those last green tomatoes
along with fennel, herbs and persimmon fruit. 

October and early November still had an easy and steady rhythm at the farm. 

But now the pace quickens—taking our cue from the squirrels and birds 
that dart around—each day brings sharp contrasts.

Squash blossom in November hoping there is still time...

The persimmon leaves herald autumn

Celestial Figs glisten with wintery frost

All of this happening within a week or so at the farm.

I can't get the images out of my mind.

These cycles are hypnotic indeed,
beckoning me to return to see what is—and is not still there.