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Fall Fruit!
The flavors of fall are bursting forth in our produce aisle. It is delightful when ripe, autumnal fruit arrives with its tremendous subtlety of flavors. We have curated this newsletter so you can make the most of fall fruit
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Preserves
Try one of these excellent preserves. They are delicious as a spread and also pared with cheeses and other savory flavors. Try them on French toast or as a delicious addition to your holiday cheese board. We have a great selection of hard-to-find flavors.
Casa Giulia Quince Preserve hails from the agriculturally rich region of Abruzzo, Italy. And, Mitica's Membrillo (Handmade Quince Paste) has a savory flavor that is both tart and sweet
Brownwood Farms Pear and Cinnamon Preserves is reminiscent of something you would find at a roadside farmstead in the Great Lakes region. FiordiFrutta Organic Pomegranate Fruit Spread is sweetened with the juice of wild apples grown in Northern Italy.
Stonewall Kitchen's New England Cranberry Relish has an abundantly sweet and tart cranberry combined with zesty orange for a spread unlike any you may have tasted before.
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Syrups
Carlo Pomegranate concentrate is delicious in smoothies and is best known for its use in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines with its stet-tart flavor. Try it in a vinaigrette!
Le Sirop de Monin Cranberry is ideal in recipes requiring cranberry color and intense flavor. It delivers a vibrant red and perfect balance of tart and sweet for creating cocktails, sodas, teas and martinis.
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Beverages
We are now carrying POM 100% pomegranate juices in all the sizes. And, along with the straight pomegranate juice, we also have their Honey Green Tea and Peach White Tea Blends—as well as their Juice Blends in Elderberry Boost, Blueberry, and Cherry.
And, speaking of juice, try one of our favorites, Martinelli's Sparkling Apple-Cranberry or R.W, Knudsen's Cider & Spice for some delicious sipping.
And, if you are looking for a flavored black tea, we recommend Harney & Sons Fine Teas Pomegranate Oolong. This tea is deliciously silky and full of complex flavors.
Mathilde Poire Liqueur is a handcrafted, French spirit that is wonderfully adaptable for mixing in cocktails, using in baking and cooking like our grandmothers did, drizzling on fruits and desserts, and mixing with soda water.
St. George Spirits' Spiced Pear Liqueur has all the complexity of a perfectly ripe Bartlett pear with the addition of cinnamon and clove. The flavor is both evocative and nostalgic.
Booch Craft Organic Apple Jasmine Hard Kombucha is a wonderful blend of the sweetness of apples, the tang of lime, and the floral tones of jasmine. The addition of green tea balances the flavor with a slightly bitter component.
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Chicken with Spaghetti Squash and Pomegranate
From our blog, The Kitchen Table
In The Pom Of Your Hand
I have a pomegranate tree. I inherited it when we bought the house. The tree is enormous and produces a ridiculous number of pomegranates—most of which end up food for the birds and squirrels because my tree does not follow the rules.
Pomegranate season runs from the end of September through November. The fruit on my tree tends to be ripe by the end of August but you would not know because they never quite get to that gorgeous red color that we associate with a pomegranate, even though they are super sweet. So we have to keep an eye out to see when they start to split. At that point, we pick the fruit that is intact and leave the rest for the critters. Needless to say, we get a lot of fruit in a short period of time and have to figure out ways to use, store, or preserve it.
The obvious method is to sprinkle the seeds on salads which we do, with abandon. But, it’s not enough. Yes, you can freeze the seeds. They last up to 6 months in the freezer and are a fantastic addition to any smoothie you might make. But, like all frozen fruit, they can lose some of their integrity when thawed.
Making pomegranate molasses is a no-brainer, especially if you are a fan of Middle Eastern food. And, pomegranate molasses is great in other dishes as well including homemade vinaigrette.
One of my favorite uses for pomegranate is this Chicken with Spaghetti Squash and Pomegranate Seeds recipe that’s a great option for a weeknight dinner. Anyone looking for something different for Thanksgiving could easily double or triple just the squash for a great splash of color on the table.
Get the recipe…
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Shop Local this Holiday Season
A Staff Favorite
It's time to support your favorite local and small brands. And, we are so fortunate to boast of an amazing array of independently-owned shops and services up and down Piedmont Avenue that offer genuinely unique holiday gift ideas.
Get the list of a few of our favorites in the neighborhood…
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Amy’s Fall Pear Salad
From our blog, The Kitchen Table
The other fall fruit
When you think about the Fall season, a lot of things immediately come to mind—fallen leaves, Halloween, pumpkin spice, and, of course, apples. Apple cider, caramel apples, apple cider donuts…you get the picture. There are some people out there that picture something different. Something that is quintessentially Fall, yet is overshadowed by the mainstream. I give you the pear…
I admit that I am most likely to reach for an apple than a pear but don’t take that to mean I don’t like them. My daughter is a pear fanatic. We are lucky enough that there is a pear farm only a few miles from where we live and my daughter waits impatiently every year for those pears to be at their peak. I admit they are ridiculously good. My daughter likes to put the pears in her lunch and eat them straight. I prefer to eat them in something sweet or, more often than not, with cheese.
There is something about the delicate flavor of pears that matches so well with cheese especially a strong cheese like a blue cheese or gorgonzola. Something about that pair (yes, pun intended), to me, is the epitome of fall flavor. While I am a big fan of a 4 o’clock cheese plate complete with pears, whatever cheese I have on hand, some nuts, and a drizzle of honey—my go-to vessel for pear consumption is a lightly dressed salad of crunchy butter lettuce or, again, whatever I have on hand. Arugula also works well...or a mix.
There are endless combinations for pears in salads. Nine times out of ten, my salad will have pears, blue cheese, pecans, and pomegranate seeds finished off with a Dijon vinaigrette. Sometimes I add citrus instead of the pomegranate seeds. Sometimes I add thinly sliced red onion. Sometimes I swap the pecans for hazelnuts. A handful of dried cranberries is a tasty addition as well…
Below is my basic fall pear salad recipe. Play with it as you see fit.
Get the recipe…
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Pecans
A Staff Favorite
Pecan pie probably ranks second only to pumpkin at the Thanksgiving table. Pecans are the perfect fall harvest nut and their taste blends wonderfully with autumn flavors.
Pecans are delicious, with a rich, buttery flavor and a natural sweetness. We love them fresh, toasted, and used as an ingredient in favorite dishes—especially desserts such as pecan pie. Butter pecan is also a favorite flavor in cookies, cakes, and ice creams. Pecans are the main ingredient in American praline candy.
About Pecans
The pecan is a nut from a species of hickory trees native to northern Mexico and the Southern United States. The nut is a nutrition powerhouse loaded with vitamins and minerals. Wild pecans were well known among native and colonial American and they have been cultivated in the South since the 1880s. Pecans are very popular in the cooking of the Southern states. In fact, the pecan is the state nut of Alabama, Arkansas, California, and Texas and is also the state tree of Texas!
A pecan, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, is not truly a nut but is technically a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk.
Stop by the store to pick up some fresh pecans or even a pecan pie.
Get the list of pecan recipes from our archives…
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Pear Spice Cocktail
From our blog, The Cocktail Post
This seasonal, Pear Spice Cocktail is reminiscent of crisp fall days. We plan to sip it in front of the fireplace with friends and family. And, the flavors are perfect for the holidays.
Bourbon pairs beautifully with both the fruity pear flavor as well as the warm baking spices. And, we bet you will find plenty more uses for the clover simple syrup in both your cocktails and cooking this season.
The cinnamon sugar rim adds a nice aromatic perfume of cinnamon and a slightly bitter-sweet flavor. To keep the cocktail from getting too sweet, mix your cinnamon sugar 2/3 cinnamon and 1/3 sugar.
Get the recipe…
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Frosty Fridays at Oakland First Fridays
News & Events
Join the fun on December 2nd for Frosty Fridays including food, gifts, music, and performing arts. This is a season of so much joy and love across many different communities of the world. Come gather this month to warm each other’s hearts with one-of-a-kind gifts from artists and retailers, arts, and tasty treats at Oakland’s staple event.
Oakland First Fridays is Oakland's nonprofit signature monthly celebration of arts, culture, food, and community. It happens on the first Friday of the month and draws up to 30 thousand people from Oakland and the surrounding areas to celebrate our unique community.
Get the details and the link…
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Chez Panisse Fruit
A Cookbook Recommendation
by Alice Waters
A New York Times Bestseller.
In 2001 Chez Panisse was named the number one restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine—quite a journey from 1971 when Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, on Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto, as a place where she and her friends could cook country French food with local ingredients and talk politics.
As the restaurant's popularity grew, so did Alice's commitment to organic, locally grown foods and to a community of farmers and producers who provide the freshest ingredients, grown and harvested naturally with techniques that preserve and enrich the land for future generations. After thirty years, the innovative spirit and pure, intense flavors of Chez Panisse continue to delight and surprise all who visit, and even those who can't get there know that Alice started a quiet revolution, changing the culinary landscape forever. Inspired by Chez Panisse, more and more people across the country are discovering the sublime pleasures of local, organic vegetables and fruits.
Join Alice Waters and the cooks at Chez Panisse in celebration of fruit. Chez Panisse Fruit draws on the exuberant flavors of fresh, ripe fruit to create memorable dishes. In this companion volume to Chez Panisse Vegetables, discover more than 200 recipes for both sweet and savory dishes featuring fruit.
Glorify the late-summer peach harvest with Peach and Raspberry Gratin, and extend the season with Grilled Cured Duck Breast with Pickled Peaches. Enjoy the first plums in Pork Loin Stuffed with Wild Plums and Rosemary. Preserve the fresh flavors of winter citrus with Kumquat Marmalade or Candied Grapefruit Peel.
Organized alphabetically by fruit—from apples to strawberries—and including helpful essays on selecting, storing, and preparing fruit, this book will help you make the very most of fresh fruits from season to season. Illustrated with beautiful color relief prints by Patricia Curtan, Chez Panisse Fruit is a book to savor and to treasure.
The companion to Chez Panisse Vegetables, this is another wonderful book from Waters and crew. It is invaluable both as a reference and a cookbook and features unsually lyrical writing. The fruits are organized alphabetically, and each entry provides information on seasons, buying, storing, preparing, and different varieties. There are savory recipes as well as desserts… The attractive, understated design and lovely full-color linocuts add to the book's appeal. Essential.
—Library Journal
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Farmer's Market Pumpkin Puree
A Staff Favorite
Simple. Gourmet. Nutritious.
Farmer’s Market pumpkin puree has a fresh, pure flavor that reminds us of a country produce stand. It's rich, smooth, and ready to use in everything from baked goods to entrees. Try it in any recipe calling for pumpkin, like our Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, Inside-Out Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Pumpkin Shrimp Curry, or Pumpkin Chickpea Stew.
We find Farmer's Market Pumpkin Puree to be consistent and delicious. It really tastes like pumpkin and is dense, not watery like some brands, and with a deep color. It makes the best pumpkin pies.
About Farmer's Market Foods
Bill and Karla Chambers started Farmer's Market Foods with two crops, a piece of land, and a passion for good food. Today the couple still lives in the same house on the family farm and manages the business every day.
Sustainably & Organically Grown in the USA
Sustainably farmed goes beyond the crop and focuses on the farm as a whole. Their practices sustain farmers, resources, and communities by promoting farming practices and methods that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities as a whole. Their foods are organic and non-GMO. And, the cans are BPA-free.
So, stock up on Farmer's Market Pumpkin Puree while it is in the store this season so you can have pumpkin treats throughout the year.
Read this post on our website…
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Pomegranates
A Staff Favorite
Persephone's Fruit
Pomegranates are fruits with roots in ancient times. They were originally found throughout a region from modern-day Iran to India. And, according to Greek mythology, are tied to the winter season where Persephone spent many months each year in the underworld.
Pomegranates were introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. Here they flourish and are at their peak season in autumn when they can be found in local supermarkets.
Pomegranate seeds can be eaten fresh as a sweet-tart snack, used as a garnish or ingredient, or dried. They are sometimes pressed to make pomegranate juice—and that juice can be cooked until thick to create pomegranate molasses.
Be forewarned that pomegranate juice will stain not only your fingers but also your clothes, which is why it has been used as a natural dye by many cultures.
How to get the seeds out of a pomegranate
You can relish the meditative act of picking each, individual jewel from its casing and savoring the pop between your teeth. We have a much more efficient process if you are preparing the fruit for a recipe.
How to select a pomegranate
Choose a pomegranate that has a deep, vibrant color, and that is a bit lumpy. A lumpy pomegranate is a hint that the seeds inside are juicy. The unripe fruit will often be lighter and will make a hollow sound when tapped. And, like most fruits, a pomegranate should feel heavy for its size with few scrapes or bruises.
Storage
Pomegranates are picked ripe and stop ripening once off the tree. Whole, fresh pomegranates will keep on your counter for up to a week or in the fridge for up to two weeks. Seeds will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
These days, thanks to the wonderful people of POM, pomegranate seeds and juice are readily available for any recipe.
Get the list of some of our favorite pomegranate recipes…
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Bay Area Holiday Productions
News & Events
Holiday Wonderland
It can feel wonderful to set aside holiday stress, suspend disbelief, and enter the holiday spirit. Here are a few favorite Bay Area holiday productions where you can relax and enjoy the wonder of the season.
Admission is limited for some programs. So, you may want to purchase tickets in advance.
Christmas at the Patterson House
Celebrate a turn of the 20th century holiday at a beautifully restored and decorated Queen Anne mansion in Ardenwood Park. Join costumed docents for a tour of 14 rooms decorated with Victorian-style holiday ornaments. Purchase tickets at the door as space allows.
The Nutcracker
With the San Francisco Ballet
Sometimes, a gift isn’t just a gift. It’s a key to a new world. A young heroine. A Nutcracker-turned-prince. The small but mighty army of mice. The beautiful conclusion of a sugar plum celebration. It’s a story so good, it bears retelling again and again. All the characters you know, and love are back for another thrilling performance of San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker. Enjoy exquisite dancing, stunning sets and Tchaikovsky’s popular score played live by the Grammy award-winning San Francisco Orchestra.
Great Dickens Christmas Fair
A Victorian Holiday Party
Visit London at the historic Cow Palace Exhibition Halls! Enter the winding lanes of Victorian London and immerse yourself in a world of music halls, theatres, pubs, dance parties, and charming shops overflowing with hand-made holiday treasures. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Discover holiday revelry in this lamp-lit city brimming with hundreds of lively and colorful characters from the imagination of Charles Dickens, the pages of history, and the sometimes saucy world of the Victorian stage.
California Midwinter Revels
Presents The Butterfly Lovers of Gold Mountain
This year California Revels follows the journey of a young Chinese opera singer from China to Gold Rush-era California. This incredible moment in history ushers in a new age of movement, international trade, and multicultural life in our golden state of California. This is the advent of California Statehood, the railroad, and the dawn of Pan-Pacific movement and trade. You will be treated to Chinese music and opera as seen through the eyes of Americans, and have a chance to view Californians —native and new—through the eyes of one of the world's most ancient, enduring cultures. Myth, legend, and story from two continents interweave, spinning the golden California of memory and promise.
A Christmas Carol
With the American Conservatory Theater
Featuring a lively cast of dozens, delightful music, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area's favorite holiday tradition returns home. This version of A Christmas Carol—adapted by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff—stays true to the heart of Dickens's timeless story of redemption and brings a playful sensibility to his rich language. A Christmas Carol is a decades-long cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory and has become a holiday tradition for families all around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Get the details and the links…
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Amy’s Cranberry Cheese Ball Bites
From our blog, The Kitchen Table
Coming up with the menu for Thanksgiving is pretty easy. I mean it’s mostly cannot-miss staples. Obviously, there’s turkey, though you can supplement with ham or whatever floats your boat. But generally, there is always turkey. Mashed potatoes are non-negotiable as are sweet potatoes in whatever form your choose—be it mashed, puréed, or roasted. At least in my house.
The hardest part of planning the Thanksgiving meal is what to have to get you through to the main event.
Depending on when your family will make its way to the table for, it can be a struggle to figure out the other meals of the day. You know you are probably going to eat an obscene amount of food at some point so having a sustenance strategy that leaves room for the gluttony to come is key.
My general plan goes as follows.
Wake up and eat a decent breakfast. I don’t make too many alterations to what I would have normally. Lunch is where things get tricky. If I am at my mother-in-law’s I try not to eat an actual lunch because we have Thanksgiving around 2 PM. That is totally changed if I am with my family because we eat at 5 or 6 PM and no way I’m lasting without some lunch. This year, I am hosting everybody so I have had to split the difference. And, am planning on eating around 4 PM—which means we will need snacks to maintain sanity.
Being one myself, I am a big fan of cheese balls. They are easy to make and look pretty on a platter with crackers. They can be dangerous and filling, though. So, one has to pace themselves. I found a version of this recipe while doing a search for cranberry recipes that aren’t cranberry sauce. It took me about two seconds to decide that these babies will make an appearance on the pre-turkey snack tray. I did make a few adjustments to suit my taste…
Get the recipe…
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Urban Remedy Cold Crusher Juice
A Staff Favorite
Cold Crusher is a tasty orange and carrot juice loaded with turmeric and a splash of lemon. It gives you an extra immunity boost and helps stave off seasonal sniffles. Urban Remedy applies ancient wisdom to modern-day clean eating to empower you to be vibrantly healthy and live your best life.
Urban Remedy Cold Crusher Juice is made fresh from certified organic ingredients with healing properties and without refined sugar. Because it is cold-pressed, the natural vitamins, enzymes, and nutrients are preserved—so you get the full cleansing benefits.
You may have noticed our new Urban Remedy fridge at the store—it arrived just before Thanksgiving and is loaded with too many products to list. Come by and check it out.
Read more…
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Celebrate the Harvest at East Bay Native American Restaurants
News & Events
Honor the harvest at one of these Native American restaurants.
How exciting is it to have the opportunity to experience a whole new (to you) palette of flavors made from local and seasonal foods? We are so fortunate to have two local Native American restaurants—and they are receiving shining reviews. Native American cuisine is the oldest cuisine in the Americas. It displays both richness in flavor and diversity in origin that have developed over time throughout a variety of regions.
Note that these menus change regularly due to the seasonality of harvested foods.
Wahpepah' Kitchen
3301 East 12th St Suite #133 in Oakland
The creation of chef and caterer Crystal Wahpepah, of the Kickapoo, who was born and raised on Ohlone land in Oakland. Crystal's work to reclaim food sovereignty and educate the community on the health benefits of Native food is at the heart of Wahpepah' Kitchen. The fall menu includes dishes like Buffalo Creek Squash Salad, Red Chili Bison Tamales, Wild Native Mushroom Pumpkin Seed Mole, and Acorn Crepes for dessert.
Cafe Ohlone
Located outside the Hearst Museum of Anthropology on the UC Berkeley campus, at Bancroft on College Avenue
Cafe Ohlone is a love song to the Ohlone culture and the only Ohlone restaurant in the world. Every Cafe Ohlone offering is accompanied by a description of the specific context of this beautiful and living Ohlone culture. Their fall menu includes items like Black Acorn Bread, Bay Nut Truffles, Bay Laurel Crispy Duck Breast, Dandelion Soup, Oysters on the Shell with Gooseberry Sauce, and Yerba Buena and Bay Laurel Sorbet.
Get the links…
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Stuffing Pot Pie
From our blog, The Kitchen Table
Stuffing the Stuffing
So, there is a great concern in my house about our Thanksgiving turkey…or should I say turkeys. The concern is not for the actual meal, But rather, will there be enough leftovers? (We have two turkeys that together weigh in at almost 40 pounds. I think we’re good.)
In all honesty, I am of the mind that most of the people in my clan look forward to the leftovers more than the actual feast. I mean, I get it. A roast turkey sandwich on freshly baked bread is indeed heavenly. But, I think the real reason is that you can get creative (read: weird) with the leftovers. The perfect example is this recipe for Stuffing Pot Pie that I found on the Food Network that I will be making come Friday.
I have a weakness for pot pie. Any pot pie. I am here for whatever you want to cook up in a rich gravy and throw a pie crust on. Beef, Chicken, Turkey? Yes, please. Pot pie is at the tippy top of my list for best comfort food. So, when I saw this version that uses stuffing for the crust, I lost it.
I always make too much stuffing because I never want to not have enough. So, I know I will have some on hand. With a few substitutions to the ingredients, turkey for the chicken, using leftover green beans, etc., you can take your leftovers and turn them into a one-stop Thanksgiving with all the flavors of the entire feast in one bite. How could you not be intrigued by this?
Not going to lie, I think I am more excited about making this pot pie than I am for the main event…
Get the recipe…
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Bourbon Old Fashioned
From our blog, The Cocktail Post
The Bourbon Old Fashioned is simply a slug of whiskey, seasoned and sweetened. Yet for all of its sophisticated simplicity, the drink is delicious and remains a favorite after all these years.
The first definition of a cocktail, around 1806, called for spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The Old Fashioned hits all those marks, using whiskey, sugar, water, and aromatic bitters.
We begin with a good, skippable bourbon. Next, we add muddled sugar (simple syrup dilutes the drink a bit) and bitters.
Get the recipe…
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Fall Fruit Recipes from Our Archives
From our blog, The Kitchen Table
Here are some great breakfasts, salads, mains, sides, beverages, and desserts that highlight fall's amazing fruit.
Breakfast
Cinnamon Apple Twist Bread
Cranberry Tea Loaf
Amish Style Baked Oatmeal
Break-Fast Baked French Toast with Apples
Stuffed French Toast
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Appetizers
Roasted Pear, Shallot, and Blue Cheese Tart
Fig, Ricotta, and Goat Cheese Tart
Prosciutto Wrapped Figs And Blue Cheese
Brie and Fig Fondue
Salads
Amy’s Fall Pear Salad
Fall Salad with Delicata Squash, Caramelized Apples, and Bacon
Persimmon, Asian Pear, and Toasted Almond Salad
Endive & Fuyu Persimmon Salad with Pecans
Autumn Salad with Apples, Comté, and Hazelnuts
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Willamette Valley Pie Co.
Vendor of the Month
This pie maker knows their fruit!
If you are looking for hands down the best frozen fruit for pie, Willamette Valley Pie Co. is exactly what you need. You can bring the bright flavor of fresh fruit to your table all year long. So, consider creating an addition to the classic pumpkin and pecan pies of Thanksgiving to offset the fall flavors.
About Willamette Valley Pie Co.
In Oregon's Willamette Valley, the perfect mix of soil and climate makes for growing the most incredible berries in the world! Alongside their Oregon-grown berry selection, you'll find orchard fruits, which are also picked at the peak of ripeness, washed, pitted, sliced, and frozen within hours after harvest. The flash-freezing process seals in the nutrients and natural flavors. No sugar or preservatives are needed. Being farmer-owned, Willamette Valley Pie Company's desire has always been to bring the best from the land to your hands.
Currently, what we have in stock is their frozen Strawberries, Peaches, and Blueberries. So, check back throughout the year to see what's available.
Read this article on our website…
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Store Hours
Monday through Saturday from
9 AM to 8 PM & Sunday from
9 AM to 7 PM.
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Free Parking
4038 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 653-8181
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OUR BLOGS
Visit our recipe blog to learn what Amy, our VP and resident foodie, is cooking up in her home kitchen.
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