Produce - Full Belly Farm

almonds

We grow about 40 acres of almonds, a mix of young and old orchards, and a mix of varieties, the majority being nonpareil. We harvest in early fall, using a shaker to get the nuts off the trees. Almonds are a big deal in the Capay Valley – each year the entire Valley celebrates the Almond Festival in February, complete with a competition to crown crown an Almond Queen, corresponding with the time of year when the almond trees are in bloom.

If you have not tried our almond butter, make sure to get your hands on some this season. (But beware, it is so good that you may become addicted!) Almond butter should be refrigerated once opened but can be stored in the pantry until opening. Almonds are best stored in the refrigerator or freezer to avoid going rancid. If they last that long!

pears

Pears are a great fall-time treat for Full Belly farmers. Harvested in the after many of our other fruits are done (like peaches and melons), pears are a great source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Full Belly cultivates a small number of Bartlett Pear trees. Unripe pears should be kept on the counter top until soft. Pears can also be kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat them, up to one week.

shell beans & peas

Cranberry Beans and Black-Eye Peas are two of our favorites in this category, although we do sometimes experiment with other varieties. We usually sell most of our shelling beans fresh, when the flavor is at its height. The beautiful Cranberry Beans have an earthy flavor and can be eaten in cold vegetable salads, or in any warm dish that calls for shelling beans. The Black-Eye Peas, bring southern bacon and ham recipes to mind.

Check out this awesome Minestrone Soup Recipe for ideas on using fresh beans.

winter squash

Winter squash is a deceptive name; winter squash grows in the summer, just like summer squash. But it has a tough outer rind that keeps them good through the fall and into the winter. We harvest our squash starting at the end of August and beginning of September and continue through October as each variety reaches maturity. Then we cure the squash, meaning cutting the squash from the plant and then letting it dry out for a few days in the field before bringing it in. This process heals cuts and scratches and hardens the skins (helping them resist rot and last longer) and increases the sugars (making them taste sweeter). Then we pick them up and store them in bins in the barn until we’re ready to send them out to the CSA, farmers markets, or stores.

Full Belly grows as many as 15 varieties, mixing it up each year to see what tastes best. Here are some of the staple varieties: Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Kabocha, Sweet Dumpling, Red Kuri, Spaghetti, and Tetsukabuto.

Tip for removing skin and seeds from winter squash:

Another person shared that they’ve started using a melon baller to clean the seeds and stringy parts out the squash cavities and “it’s better than anything I’ve ever used.”
Or you can remove the seeds after cooking:
- Cut squash in quarters and put pieces on baking sheet in a 350º oven. Cook about 30 minutes. Transfer the squash to a cutting board. When squash is cooled it is easy to scoop out the seeds. Cut each quarter into slices and trim the outside skin. Squash is ready to cut into cubes for cooking.
- Or, if you’re making puree, roast the squash whole and then remove the seeds and skin it’s fully cooked.

watermelon

Our watermelons come in all sizes and colors. All are seriously delicious, and all have seeds. We only grow seeded watermelon. All are sweet, juicy, and seriously delicious! We currently grow Crimson Sweet, Orchid, Sugar Baby, Yellow Doll, Estrella. Crimson Sweets, Sugar Baby, and Estrellas are red. Sugar Babies (in the photo below) are quite small, Estrellas are large and oblong, and Crimson Sweet are a medium/large oval melon. Orchids (in the photo below) are orange fleshed and Yellow Dolls have bright yellow flesh.

Watermelons don’t ripen off the vine, so any of our watermelons will be ripe and ready to go!

Watermelons should be kept in a cool spot and will keep for 7-10 days. They should not be stored in the refrigerator until right before you are ready to eat them because if they are refrigerated for too long, the flesh gets mealy.

Photo credit: Tanya Tran (@FeedTheThrill)

walnuts

We grow 12 acres of walnuts; the orchard is an old orchard with large, old established trees, planted further apart than more modern orchards. Our orchards are multipurpose – weddings at the farm are almost always held in the walnut orchard. We grow a mix of varieties; most of our trees are Serr with some Tehama and Hartley.

We harvest our walnuts in October. Read more about that process here.

Walnuts should be stored in a cool, dry place; they are best stored in the refrigerator or freezer (if you won’t be eating them within a month) to avoid going rancid. If they last that long!

turnips

Turnips are two vegetables in one. The greens are one of the best of all greens – a wonderful flavor, and so tender. If you get turnips with their greens on, it is a good idea to cut the greens off of the roots and store them separately — the roots will last quite some time in a bag in the refrigerator once the greens are cut off.

Full Belly always grows hakurei turnips (which go by several names: Tokyo turnips, salad turnips, etc. They’re white and have a sweet, mild taste and are often enjoyed raw. We also grow scarlet and purple top, though not every year.

Turnips have quite a bit of internal moisture and can be cooked with hardly any water at all — a pat of butter and a pinch of salt might be the ticket. Turnips are also great in a roasted root medley. If you are making mashed potatoes, add a turnip or two and enjoy a really gourmet version of this staple dish!

tomatoes

The Capay Valley climate makes for perfect tomato growing at Full Belly Farm — hot summer days and cooler nights. We cultivate over 25 kinds of tomato — cherry tomatoes, heirlooms, slicers, and Roma types. Tomatoes don’t like to be too cold, so don’t put them in your refrigerator unless they are getting over-ripe. Instead, store them on the counter, in a cool spot, stem side down. There are certain conditions when you’d want them in the refrigerator, but in general you don’t. For more about tomato storage, we recommend this article for a quick summary and this one for a deep dive (that gets further into the nuances of when refrigeration may be ideal).

summer squash

Anyone with a backyard garden knows that summer squash is an abundant vegetable, growing with vigor and often providing more than one family can consume. The term ‘summer squash’ refers to many different varieties, but we usually only grow a few, for example, zucchini, yellow crookneck and green pattypan. Full Belly farmers eat summer squash with every dinner during the summer — it’s practically mandatory. Summer squash can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or baked into a sweet bread. It is a great source of folates, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Squash should be stored in the refrigerator in the paper back it came in to be kept fresh.

strawberries

Strawberries are a springtime fruit that arrives at a wonderful time, before our summer fruit is ready.

We’re always experimenting a bit with our small strawberry planting: experimenting with mulch types (plastic, straw, nothing) and with varieties (we’ve currently got five: Albion, Chandler, Monterrey, Royal Royce, and Victor).

We choose our varieties for their flavor. A constant in our planting mix is Chandler, a variety known for its intense sweetness and flavor, but not a long shelf life. Be sure to eat these strawberries right away — we pick them ripe! Store them in the refrigerator.

spinach

Spinach is a vegetable that is plentiful from Full Belly Farm- and for good reason! It is SO good for you! Spinach is packed full of many phyto- nutrients that are important to keep our bodies strong and healthy. Rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron, spinach is a vegetable that we should eat all winter long! Spinach from Full Belly comes in two forms: loose or bunched. Both should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within 5 days. Rinse the spinach before eating- it may have a bit of Full Belly soil on the leaves! You can find additional recipe ideas on our tender greens page.

radishes

Radishes are such a jolly vegetable- bright red, adding a splash of color to any dish. The Full Belly farmers grow several different types of radishes- French breakfast, red round, strawberry daikon, and white daikon. Radishes are rich in vitamin C and contain an anti-oxidant called sulforaphane, known for its cancer-cell growth inhibition. Daikons, native to Asia, are generally more mild than red round and French breakfast radishes, which can often have a bit of a spicy bite. Radishes should be stored with their tops off, in the refrigerator.

We know that red daikon may be one of the vegetables that you wouldn’t purchase if you bought all of your vegetables in the store. In Japan, China, Korea and other Asian countries, daikon it is a staple part of the diet. It has very few calories but provides 27% of the daily needs of Vitamin C. We hope that you enjoy it!

potatoes

The climate and soil conditions at Full Belly Farm make for tasty potatoes. We grow a spring and fall crop, grow many different varieties, and harvest our potatoes as new potatoes and fully mature potatoes.

“New Potatoes” have not cured, meaning that the potato skin is thin and permeable and may scuff up when the potatoes are handled. These potatoes are very creamy and less starchy than mature potatoes. They are often small in size and MUST be refrigerated. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

“Old Potatoes” (just kidding- they aren’t really called that- but they are fully mature, so they are “older potatoes”) are kept in the soil for as long as possible before harvesting, which sets the skin and gives them a longer storage life. We also recommend keeping these potatoes refrigerated but it is not as crucial as it is for new potatoes.

Learn more about our potato growing process here.

plums

Plums coming from Full Belly Farm are either Santa Rosa, Elephant Heart, or Sugar plums. Harvested in the heat of the summer, our plums are a wonderfully juicy treat. Plums are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as beta carotene. Be sure to store your plums on the countertop and eat them before they become too mushy. We recommend slicing your plums into cereal in the morning, topping your ice cream with a few pieces of plum, or just eating them whole!

peppers

Peppers are a summertime staple at Full Belly Farm. The farmers add them to everything- omelets, salads, sandwiches- everything! We grow many different kinds of peppers from no spice to quite hot. Each pepper can bring different flavors to your cooking.

Corno de Toro (red and yellow): The name translates to “horn of the bull” because of their shape. They are sweet and fruity, very flavorful, with medium-thick walls and no heat.

Italian Frying: Corno de toro and Jimmy Nardello are also Italian frying peppers but we grow a few varieties of much larger Italian frying peppers, such as stocky red roaster. They’ve got thick walls and a sweet juicy taste.

Jalapeños: These peppers pack a punch! Be sure to be careful with your hands — keep them away from your eyes and mouth while chopping these peppers. They add a great spice to just about anything — we add one or two to our summer peach salsa!

Jimmy Nardello: These heirloom peppers are also called sweet Italian frying peppers, great for frying, not really known for roasting. They cook quickly, sautéed in a bit of butter or oil and their flavor is amazing. They are especially good if you take time to split each pepper and remove the seeds and stem. Start them in a high heat in a heavy pan to get a bit of brown color on the skins, then cover them and lower the heat.

Padron & Shishitos: These two pepper varieties are very close relatives and can be cooked the same way. The only difference is that the occasional Padron pepper will be quite hot (approximately 1 in 10) while Shishitos almost never are. They both add great flavor to anything you cook, but they are best know as an appetizer, served on their own. Heat some high quality olive oil in a frying pan, and when the oil starts to spit throw your peppers in. You want them in a single layer, otherwise they will start to steam. You want to blacken the peppers a bit on all sides until they are soft. Then toss them in sea salt and then zest a lemon over them or give them a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and toss that in too.

Pimentos: Pimento peppers aren’t just for pimento cheese! These peppers are sweet, with a thick, meaty skin. No spice, just sweet. Good for a number of cooking uses, including stuffing, and taste great raw, with or without hummus or dip.

Poblanos: Poblanos range from mild to hot heat levels. They are usually picked green, but if left on the plant, can turn red. Ancho peppers are dried poblanos. Poblano peppers can be used raw, they are often roasted and peeled. Their skins are somewhat thick, making them perfect for stuffing (as in chiles rellenos). When dried, they are called ancho chilis.

peaches

Full Belly cultivates over 25 varieties of peaches – and they become ready to pick from the beginning of June to the end of September. Peaches are a delicate tree crop. Conditions must be just right when the fruit is setting in April and May. If it is too cold, the fragile fruit can freeze. When everything is just right, the peaches from Full Belly Farm are out of this world — juicy, sweet, and full of mouthwatering flavor. Peaches are high in vitamins A and C- and a great source of fiber. Be sure to store your peaches on the on the counter. If they are in need of some ripening, simply leave them in their paper bag on your counter top.

oranges

The Navel Oranges grown by Full Belly are the perfect wintertime treat. Each orange is packed full of diverse nutrients – low in calories, rich in dietary fiber, and an excellent source of vitamin C, pectin, vitamin A, and B-complex vitamins. Oranges are also great sources of potassium and calcium. Oranges can be kept at room temperature for a week or so, but will keep for much longer in the fruit/ vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. Keep them loose- not in a bag- and enjoy them as a whole fruit, as juice, or in your wintertime cooking!

onions

Onions come in two forms from Full Belly: Fresh or Spring Onions (with green tops on) and Dried onions (without the tops- a more ‘standard’ onion look). They can be used similarly but the fresh ones will be a bit more moist. Onions contain allicin, a phyto-chemical compound that reduces blood pressure and reduces risk for cancer and diabetes. Fresh Onions should be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. The whole onion can be used – tops and all! Dried Onions can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.

mandarins

Full Belly’s Mandarins make a delicious snack. Our farmers have chosen the Satsuma variety because of its sweet and juicy nature. They’re not only great for snacking, but are good for making jellies and jams due to their high sugar content. Most importantly these mandarins are packed with vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron. Our Satsumas are best stored in the fridge to extend their shelf life. Careful not to blink as your family will most likely gobble them down before they ever make it out of the box.

leeks

Leeks on the farm serve as a fall and winter alternative to the classic yellow and red onions we have during the summer. There are many noteworthy benefits that can be found in this vegetable including anti-oxidants, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins such as A, C, K, E. Leeks are best stored by wrapping them in paper towels and placing them in the fridge. It is best to consume them within the week.