Chef Duskie Estes with her mother Carol, daughters Mackenzie and Brighty, and Ziggy's daughter Teal. Mackenzie is holding up a Victory Garden Poster she just bought.

We all had fun at the Sunshine Preserves Farm Stand last Saturday. Ty was back with more beautiful organic produce, and the Easy Leaves played an amazing acoustic set. My sister Sarah ran our workshop table. This weekend will be a workshop on how to plant a vegetable garden now that will provide fresh produce through the winter. We will have a demonstration on how to build a mini-greenhouse, and have handouts on the best veggies to grow in winter. The farm stand is at the restaurant, 3535 Guerneville rd.

Here is the text of Sarah’s sunshine preserves hand-out:

TOO MUCH  FRUIT?
Peaches and Apricots:  Sunshine Preserves, Frozen slices (very lightly sugared), Dried, Low-sugar jam using commercial pectin, Chutney, Leather
Plums: Sunshine Preserves, Dried, Jam, Leather
Prunes and Figs: Dried
Apples:  Applesauce, Apple butter, Dried, Frozen, uncooked pies, Cider, chutney
Sour Cherries:  Freeze whole with very light addition of sugar, Jam
Blueberries:  Freeze whole, Jam
Raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries:  Freeze whole on cookie sheet then pour into a plastic bag, Sunshine Preserves, Jam, Frozen, uncooked pies, Leather
Pears: Pear Butter, Chutney
Quince: Jelly, Chutney, Cooked until tender and frozen, Leather
Grapes:  Jelly, Juice, Dried (raisins)
Persimmons:  Frozen, Dried, Leather

The Easy Leaves play while my sister sarah explains how to preserve fruit using the sun.

NOTE: The interior of a car with the windows just cracked is a great place to dry fruit and vegetables, fruit leather and cook Sunshine Preserves.

SUNSHINE PRESERVES
Peel and slice fruit, if necessary.  Add ¼ cup sugar to each cup of fruit. Stir well and allow to sit for ½ hour to release the juice.   Place in a large shallow pan, bring to a full boil stirring constantly, allow to cool and partially cover with cling wrap and place in sunny place.  Stir several times per day.  When thick, bring back to a boil and pour into hot sterilized containers, seal.  Refrigerate after opening.  If the nights are cloudy bring inside and take back outside when warm again.

PUNA’S CHUTNEY  (for apples, pears, quince)
10 lbs Sliced Fruit                            1 Pkg Currants            2 Heads Garlic
10 lbs Sugar (half brown)                6 Tbs. Ginger root, peeled&minced 4 Tbs. Dr. Chile Peppers
2 Pkg. Sultana Raisins                     2 Quarts White vinegar                     2 Tbs. Salt
Bring vinegar and sugar to a full boil, continue for 10 minutes, add raisins, currants, garlic, chile peppers, fruit, salt and ginger.  Cook at a simmer for one hour.  Put in hot sterilized jars and seal.

The Ceres booth has a delicious saurekraut for sale among other products. Next door Ty and Dillion have a bounty of organic, hand grown produce