Hidden Apples

Many Carmel Vally residents over the years have had the wisdom to plant fruit trees on their property. Sometimes a single tree, and sometimes even small orchards. These trees provide shade in the summer, and delicious fruit too. Apples, apricots, peaches, pears, almonds, figs. The variety is quite extraordinary. And every year, these loyal trees do their job making their fruit. I'm always amazed when I discover yet another hidden treasure of sustainable food located in some private place in Carmel Valley.

Our friends the fruit tree however are sometimes more efficient than we are. Producing more than their owners can possibly consume at once. And of course canning for the winter requires some set-up and more significantly, time, a commodity in short supply in today's modern life. The bottom line is that there is a tremendous quantity of food in Carmel Valley, that is ripe for the picking!

So Tuesday, Elizabeth and I headed out to pick apples. We collected enough apples for our current orders. The apples were weighed and bagged back at Elizabeth's Farm, and I distributed them to CSA subscribers with my usual rounds on Wednesday. Fresh apples are always nice, but just as important is knowing that they were 100% natural, and come from a local, sustainable source.

Today we will cook down some of the bruised and damaged apples for our own enjoyment. Some day we hope that the Co-op will be able to build a commercial kitchen and we can offer locally grown and canned apple butter and apple sauce to our CSA subscribers too. In the meantime, you'll just have to believe me when I say that it is delicious!