If you've been asking yourself this question lately, the answer is yes.  We have a new variety of mandarin, a whole orchard's worth, and it's about time.  Six years ago, we planted two new orchards, each with two new varieties of mandarins.  The baby trees went through citrus hell -- multiple years of freezing temperatures that burned their leaves, destroyed new growth, and froze their fruit.  In one of the orchards, we lost so many trees that we decided to pull the whole thing out two years ago.

The other orchard somehow survived, and last year was loaded with fruit.  Then we had a single very cold night in mid-January, and it all froze.  We were starting to think we would never get to harvest those mandarins, but this year most of the fruit ripened in early January and we picked them just after New Years.  Although the trees are only five feet tall, they were loaded.

They are called "Tahoe Gold", and as you know by now, they have a dark reddish-orange peel and a more acidic, tangerine-like flavor than the Satsumas that ripen in November and December.  This will be the last week they are in your boxes.
 
The second variety in the orchard, "Mammoth Gold", ripens even later.  Unfortunately, that fruit was damaged by the freeze once again this year as they were not ready to harvest in time.

We grow only two types of potatoes at Terra Firma, both creamy, yellow-fleshed varieties.  The one you have been seeing in your boxes this winter is called Yellow Finn, and it is our favorite potato for many reasons.

 Most types of potatoes prefer cooler climates; Yellow Finns are unusual in that they enjoy the hot, dry weather we have here in the summer and fall.  So much so that we can plant them in both the spring for summer harvest, and in the summer for fall harvest after frost kills the plants (all potato plants are killed by freezing temperatures).  As I might have mentioned, we just concluded our "fall" spud harvest last week, and we have a bumper crop in the cooler.

Freshly harvested Yellow Finns

But we wouldn't grow Yellow Finns just because they produce well.  They happen to be a wonderfully versatile potato, great for roasting, mashing and soups as well as completely acceptable for salads.  They are creamy with a nice balance of sugar and starch, which means you can make many traditional potato recipes with them but cut down on the fat (cheese, butter, cream, etc) that is usually required to balance out the dry starchiness of potatoes like Russets.

All Terra Firma potatoes should be treated like fresh produce and kept in the fridge in a plastic bag.  Potatoes should never be kept in a well lit spot, as it causes them to sprout, shrivel, turn green and become inedible.  I always cringe when I see people keeping potatoes on their kitchen counters or other warm, bright area.

Recipe:  Baked Mashed Potatoes with Garlicky Broccoli
Just in case mashed potatoes isn't "comfort food" enough for you, this recipe cooks them a second time.  Because of the long baking time, you might want to cook and mash the potatoes one night and bake them the next.  If you've got a surplus of potatoes in your fridge, make a double dose of mashed potatoes for dinner one night and save half to make this recipe later in the week.

Boil salted water, then drop in 2 lbs. of scrubbed potatoes.  Cut them so they are roughly equal size.  For extra flavor, add a couple of whole, washed leek leaves to the water and discard when the potatoes are done.

When the potatoes are completely cooked, drain and rinse -- saving a cup of the cooking water -- then let sit for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the florets off 1 lb. of broccoli and chop into small pieces.   Peel the stem(s) and then dice.

Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a skillet or wok and saute the garlic and broccoli until the broccoli is bright green and tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

When the broccoli mixture cools, add 2 beaten eggs and 1/4 C. grated gruyere cheese.

Mash the potatoes with 1/8 C. cream or milk and 2 T. melted butter or olive oil. Combine with the broccoli mixture and place in a lightly oiled 9x12 baking dish or casserole.  Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes.