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 What's in the box this week?
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Greetings!
Happy
March! Please note that our Blossom Festival has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 14th due to the predictions of rain this coming weekend. Please make a note of
it on your calendars. We're looking forward to seeing many of you there! Dr.
Frankie will be sharing lots of fascinating information about his pollinator research here at the farm,
and explaining how the all-important pollination process is responsible for much of the
food we eat. It will be a great way to make science come alive for you and your
family! Please see below for details and ticket information.
 Right
now, it's pretty muddy on the farm. We don't go out in the orchard too much
when the ground's wet. Why? Not because we're afraid of a little mud! But
working on muddy ground can compact it when it dries, reducing the aeration of
the soil and making it harder for the roots to spread and pick up nutrients.
This is a good thing to remember for your own garden, too. Avoid walking on
beds where your plants are growing, and save double-digging, amending and other
soil-moving projects for dry days. Especially if your soil is high in clay,
doing a lot of digging on muddy days can lead to the soil drying in big,
compacted clumps. Instead, relax and let your garden drink its fill, and save
the work for sunny days!
Despite
the rains this week, pollination is going well on the farm, and we're hoping
for another great crop of organic stone fruit to come. Farmer Al has been at
the California Small Farm Conference in San Diego earlier this week, and is
sure to come back with a lot of new ideas gleaned from his fellow farmers.
We'll let you know what he learned in this month's upcoming newsletters.
In
this week's box, you'll find Fuerte avocados, navel oranges, Pink Lady apples,
and deliciously sweet Murcott mandarins. The Murcott mandarin gets its name
from a Florida nurseryman, Charles Murcott Smith, who first began growing the
tangerine hybrid in 1922. It's a late-maturing variety that's very productive
with great color and sweetness. In Florida, it's often marketed under the name
a honey tangerine or honey Murcott, since a ripe Murcott can be sweet as
honey.
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SPRING BLOSSOM FESTIVAL on Sunday, March 14, 2010
10:30am - 2:00pm at Frog Hollow Farm
10:30am - Welcome
Grilled Bruschetta with Fava Bean and Fromage Blanc
11:00am - Orchard Tour led by Farmer Al Courchesne
12:00pm - Buffet Lunch
Asparagus-Fennel-Blood Orange Salad
Long Cooked Winter Greens with Spring Onions
Spring Garlic Braised Lamb with Artichoke, End of Winter Vegetable & Lentil Stew
Little Gem & Chicory Salad with Dried Fruit Vinaigrette
Plum Blossom Ice Cream with Plum Sauce and Pound Cake
12:30pm - Bee Talk: Dr. Gordon Frankie of UC Berkeley
Tickets are available athttp://www.froghollow.com/eventsDiscount ticket pricing is available for members of Frog Hollow Farm's CSA and their guests.
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Recipe of the Week
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Mandarin-Apple
Salad
Mandarins,
apples, and avocados star in this fresh and crunchy salad. If you can still
find fresh pomegranates in your market, you can top each salad with a sprinkle
of ruby pomegranate seeds. Or, try topping each salad with sunflower seeds or
toasted almond slices.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated mandarin orange peel
1 large fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, very thinly sliced
1 apple, halved, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
6 cups arugula leaves or salad greens
2 Murcott mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced
1 avocado, sliced thinly
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, and orange peel in small
bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss fennel and
apple with half the dressing.
Add arugula, adding more dressing to coat lightly and evenly.
Arrange salad on plates, topping each plate with orange slices and
avocado. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, if using.
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