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| Walking Amongst Giants |
One year ago we visited Eastern Washington to check out the cherries. We are going again at the end of this month, but until then, here is the tale of last year's trip. |
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The Story of the Rainier Cherries - June, 2009 We were blindfolded as we were driven down the road towards the orchard known as "Area 51." We made a hard turn to the right and, clearly, we were now traveling over a rough, dirt road - as we lurched and lunged about in the bed of the pickup truck. Then, as quickly as the road had turned rough, the ride smoothed out again, and we could smell the trees and feel the air turn moist, as the sounds of the truck were muffled out and a quiet settled in. We felt the truck pull to a stop and Mark removed our blindfolds. Our eyes took in what we had already smelled; long, tight rows of cherry trees on an undulating terrain that slowly rose in elevation ending at a rock wall that stood high above us. As we walked through the grove, Mark (5th generation cherry farmer) and his father, Keith, told us a little about this very special place. They said one family owned this orchard for as long as the trees had been standing, and it is known for producing especially large fruit. As we walked around, the first thing I noticed was the size of the trunks - massive in size compared to all the cherry trees I have seen up to this point. The low canopy of branches were completely covered with Rainier cherries - all looking exceptionally big and juicy. Mark showed me the size of the cherries - already an 8 on this day. "But," he said, "we expect them to grow at least another half a size more before they are ready to be picked - some time in the next 5 to 10 days." The cherries already sized "off-the-charts," - even more impressive in a year when many of the other cherries are coming in as 11's and 10's. (Keep in mind, when it comes to fresh cherries, the smaller the number the bigger the fruit!) Historically, almost all of the fruit from this orchard goes to the highest bidder, usually from Asia. Because this is a new relationship for us, we were trying to be on our best behavior, but I couldn't control myself; I blurted out that our fruit customers would jump at the chance to get such magnificent fruit! In the end, Keith and Mark have agreed to let us sell some of the cherries from this amazing grove to you all! * Just so you know, Tom Batch introduced us to Keith and his two sons, Kevin and Mark, with the intent of expanding the varieties of fruit we can offer our customers. This grove was very special, and a big surprise for us! ** By the way, the opening words are fictitious... they do, however, accurately describe the ambiance of this amazing place. This was one special orchard, and we felt very lucky to have the opportunity to walk amongst these ancient Rainier Cherry trees. |
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Rainier Cherry Special offer Mother Nature will determine when the cherries are picked Ordering cutoff is Noon on Friday, June 25th, 2010 Order now to be sure to get your Rainier cherries Supplies are limited No rain checks or back orders - when the cherries are picked, we're done Check website for any updates
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| In the News |
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La Cuccina Italiana Magazine (June 2010 Issue) had a wonderful "Italian Pantry" article with recommendations for ingredients you should always have in yours. They mentioned a number of items from us, including:
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See What You Missed In Previous Newsletters
SIX WAYS TO GET YOUR CHOCOLATE KICKS WITHOUT TURNING UP THE HEAT THE ALMIGHTY ANCHOVY – A PATH TO ANCHOVY ENLIGHTENMENT THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLET |
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This Week's Recipes
Copper River Salmon is coming... really! We appreciate your patience as we wait for the price of Copper River Salmon to become more reasonable. But what to do with all that salmon once you get it? Here are a few ideas. Fresh Mango Salsa (For Halibut or Salmon) Meyer Lemon Dressing for Grilled Salmon Whole Sockeye Salmon with Garlic & Preserved Lemon Salsa Pasta with Caper, Artichoke Hearts, Tomatoes and Salmon |
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