Summer Fruit Part 1

As purveyors of Gourmet Fruit Gifts, we know a ton about fruit.  We know how to grow it, pick it, store it, ship it and—as the skins, seeds, and pits in our trashcans show—eat it.  But we don’t know it all; we’re constantly learning new things and we wouldn’t have it any other way.  That’s why we’re introducing our newest feature “Will it Grill?” where we’ll grill different varieties of fruit to see whether we can and should fire up our grills.  Will we burn a fruit or two along the way?  Absolutely.  But for the sake of knowledge, and some sweet caramelized fruit goodness, we’ll give it a shot.  Let the grilling and discovery commence! Read more

Cherry Pork Tenderloin

Normally, Aaron (our E-commerce Manager) handles the recipes.  He’s cooked some tasty dishes in the past few months, and has done so with great aplomb.  Too much aplomb.  It’s time to put an end to his reign of “following the recipe” and “measuring things”.  With great fruit, great things are possible, even in the hands of someone like me.

As proficient as Aaron is, he doesn’t have the experience I bring with me, namely four years of college spent watching The Food Network and Top Chef—if cooking were a spectator sport, I’d be a legend.  Suffice it to say that I was ready for any challenge. Read more

Bing cherries hang from branches, their dark merlot skin glimmering outwards towards the dirt road.  They are ready to be picked.  It’s a week later than expected but harvest will come; the Bings are ready, the Bings are ready.  For Orchard Manager Eric Shrum, the sight of a thriving Bing crop should be cause for celebration, but it isn’t.  He’s not ready to relax.  There will be time for that when all the cherries have been picked, but until then, there’s work to do.

Eric Shrum works for Orchard View Farms in The Dalles, Oregon, where he manages some 2100 acres of cherries.  With the help of over 400 employees during harvest, it’s Mr. Shrum’s job to make sure that Orchard View Farms and their 12 varieties of cherries turn out to be the best of the season.

The job would seem impossible.   And if not impossible, impossible to do well.  But listening to Mr. Shrum talk about his cherries, you would think he was a home gardener checking daily on a lone cherry tree in his back yard, urging it to grow night and day. Read more