January, 2005 - Volume 6, Issue 3



Winter’s Delicious Bounty



Mother Nature sure knows how to take care of us. While summer means heaps of tomatoes and peppers, winter has its own appeal with all of the delicious citrus and vegetables that are ripe now.

In addition to making a great snack, the zest from citrus fruits makes a great addition to lots of recipes from breads and muffins to entrées to desserts. “Remember to grate just the thin colored layer of skin,” says Jan.

CITRUS SEASON
While we still have some mandarins, the season is nearing its end. Clementines and clemenula mandarins are going strong, though, and they are just two of the many delicious citrus available now. From Jan and Francis Thompson’s Twin Brooks Farm in Loomis comes our delicious Navel Oranges. Sweet and juicy and nearly seedless, these oranges make a great snack for everyone in the family. And keep your eyes “peeled” for the giant yellow grapefruit-like pummelos and red blood oranges from Joe and Leah Rogers’ orchard in Newcastle.

LOCAL LEMONS & LIMES
Thanks to Jan’s sister and brother-in-law, Donna & Brendan Kelly of Loomis, we have a bumper crop of local tangy-sweet Meyer lemons (a lemon and mandarin cross), sour Eureka lemons, and some Bearss limes (also known as a Sicilian lemon).

EAT YOUR VEGGIES
Winter vegetables are plentiful now, too, and we have lots of fresh and local items in the store that you can make for dinner tonight!

From Twin Brooks Farm, choose from several varieties of lettuce, plus beautiful purple cauliflower, and our popular sweet broccoli.

Plus we have a fresh potato crop, including two new varieties to try. Maris Piper is a dry potato with white flesh. Popular in Europe, it makes great French fries and is also delicious boiled or baked. Red Thumb is a delicious deep red skinned fingerling that is great roasted, fried, or boiled. “Cut one in half lengthwise and you can see a red thumb outlined in the flesh,” describes Jan.

Stop by soon and stock up on winter’s bounty!