Roasted Warren Pears

This is a wonderful simple dessert that can be put together at the last minute.

4 ripe Warren or Bosc pears

1-2 tablespoons organic sugar

½ cup mixed chopped dried fruits, such as cherries, peaches, raisins or persimmons (optional)

¾ cup fruity white wine or sauternes

1 vanilla bean cut in half horizontally and lengthwise

Lemon zest and juice of 2 lemons

Peel the pears and cut off bottom ½ inch so they sit flat and upright.

Place the pears in the pan with the dried fruit. Sprinkle with sugar, wine, lemon juice and zest. Scrape out the seeds from inside the vanilla bean and spread some of seed-paste on the pears.

Bake at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until pierced easily with a knife.

Serve warm with ice cream. Make sure to get every last drop of syrup!

From the kitchen of Becky Courchesne

A Blast From The Past

A Blast from the Frog Hollow Farm past...Enjoy!

Everyday is CSA Day!

What's CSA, you ask? CSA is Community Supported Agriculture and is a not-so-new-but-gaining-in-popularity consumer movement that's changing how people buy their food, meet their farmer, and protect the Earth. Yesterday, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. In addition to all of the obvious changes that occurred yesterday, one of the biggest was a massive shift in how politics in this country will be conducted, not just for the next 4-8 years, but for eternity. There's no going back. Absolutely, there are going to be those that would rather wallow in the same kind of "business as usual" politics we've been (with little exception) forced to endure since President Eisenhower milled about the West Wing. That's a long time folks! But with the election and swearing in of Obama, we officially shift our political thinking not to the left or right, but forward. We need to make 2009 the year where we do the same with our food and farms.

Despite the issues with the economy that are forcing people to make short-term, often drastic, changes to their purchasing patterns, people still need to eat. And as our political winds blow sweet and refreshing, so are the winds of how people eat. Farmers Markets, CSAs, organic, local, biodynamic...whatever. People are willing more than ever to make changes elsewhere in their budget before they make changes in how they buy food. People are done and over with the bad food we've been forced to eat since, well, Eisenhower was president. The Industrial Age of Food is Over (almost anyway). And as Obama's administration brings this misguided ship we call the US hard about, so will the American people change our food systems. There'll be more food grown on a farm near you, by a farmer you know, and in a way that doesn't squander anymore environmental capital for our future generations than in anytime in the last 70 years or so.

Make a difference America! Join a CSA, find a Farmers Market, meet your farmer--reject industrial food at all costs. Beginning today! Your country's farmers need you!

PS we'd absolutely be tickled pink if you'd consider joining Frog Hollow Farm's Happy Child CSA. We have numerous CSA sites around the Bay area, plus we ship almost everywhere in the US. But even if you choose to not join our CSA, please join a CSA near you. For information on finding a CSA near you, please visit the Local Harvest web site.

Cookies, Granola, and Jams..Oh My!

We know that many of our Happy Child CSA members have been Frog Hollow Farm supporters for years. Of course, you know all about the fresh organic fruit delivered to you each week throughout the season. What you may not know is that Frog Hollow Farm also produces a delectable menu of goodies right here on the farm. Until recently, these items have been only available on line, at select farmers markets, and at our shop in San Francisco’s Ferry Building—now we’d like to share them with you through the Happy Child CSA*.

Each week, beginning this week, we're including a sampling of Becky Courchesne’s kitchen creations in each CSA share box. We'll do this throughout the season for as long as we can. In each share box, you’ll find an order form that can be used to order larger quantities of these and other items for delivery with your next CSA share. (For those of you not already CSA members, please call or email us and we'll get you set up. Please visit our listing at Local Harvest for more detail and an explanation of where we currently have CSA host sites.) We’ll limit available items to the sample products and a few others that we think you’d like to try. In the near future, you’ll be able to order any additional CSA items on-line, but for now please use the enclosed form—and by all means call with any questions or to special order items (such as our incredible pastries).

Frog Hollow Farm is dedicated to being fresh and new in all areas of our farm. As a “partner” in Frog Hollow Farm’s success, we hope you’ll choose to order a full range of our products in addition to the “can’t live without” fresh fruit you get each week. The selections will change throughout the season (as many of the goodies are made with seasonal fruit)—though many will remain throughout. As we go along, hopefully you’ll tell us what you like, what you don’t, and maybe even give us new product or recipe ideas.

Feel free to call or email us at any time with questions about our products, or to just chat.

Organically Yours,

Farmer Al, Becky,

& the Frog Hollow Farm Team

_______________________________

eMail: csa@froghollow.com

Ph: 925 634 2845 x203

FAX: 925 516 2332

* What's a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. At Frog Hollow Farm our Happy Child CSA is a program that anyone can join and receive a box of our organic farm fresh fruit weekly year-round, or just during peak season. CSA is a way for our customers to support us and in vest in the future of local farming.