CoGo Farm Blog

We are packing Enterprise Apples today. They're a late season apple with full flavor and a thick, dark red skin. To me, their flavor is spicy - the combination of strong tart and sweet reminds me of cinnamon. Enterprise is a great for baking or cooking, and wonderful with a good strong cheese.

If you are wanting some winter comfort food, I recommend Apple Cobbler made with a really great apple like the Enterprise.

APPLE COBBLER FOR THE WINTER WEARY

Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds Enterprise apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
2 to 3 Tablespoons organic flour
1 Tablespoon organic lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons organic butter

Peel and core your apples.  I use my old-fashioned apple peeler. The kids love doing this job.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cobbler:

1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1/4 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
6 Tablespoons cold organic butter
1/4 cup boiling water

In another bowl, combine the flour, sugars, salt, and baking powder.

Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or a fork.  When it resembles peas or coarse sand, pour in 1/4 cup boiling water.

Spread the apples in a 10" baking dish and dot with butter.

Cover with the cobbler batter.  Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbly.

Serve with organic whipped cream, ice cream, or creme fraiche. Also yummy with cheddar cheese melted on top.

Emeril has a great recipe for apple compote that I like to use with pork. Enterprise Apples are perfect for it.

We knew the answer before we ran the tests but we thought we’d run them anyway just to reassure our customers: No arsenic in our apple juice. Not a trace.

Here at CoGo, we've been 100% organic for nearly 30 years. We grow most of our own apples, and what we purchase comes from organic orchards nearby, in Oregon and Washington.

The most recent apple juice scare began in the fall of 2011 when TV personality Dr. Oz announced that, through his own testing, he found dangerous levels of arsenic in some of the most popular brands of Apple Juice concentrate. Consumer Reports confirmed his findings with their own study in late 2011. It turns out these products are made with apples from as many as seven different countries where chemicals that are banned in America are being used freely.

We’re concerned that U.S. Inspectors are not spotting this type of contamination – after all, apple and grape juice concentrates are family favorites, and are also used instead of sugar to sweeten a lot of other foods. But we are encouraged that consumers are becoming more vigilant about where their food comes from. And we’re grateful to Dr. Oz and Consumer Reports for exposing the problem.

What advice does Dr. Oz give for people who might be concerned about their juice? Buy organic and make sure the fruit is grown in the U.S.

...That would be CoGo.

And here’s an added bonus we’re sure Dr. Oz would like: our apple juice is never cooked, concentrated, or reconstituted. It’s fresh-pressed, flash pasteurized, bottled, and in your fridge within a couple of days.

Columbia Gorge Organic: Small Farm, Big Flavor, Always Organic.

We've been packing D'Anjou pears, and will start on Boscs this week. Pruning is still going strong at the ranch, and the trees are looking great with their new haircuts...!

We have Canadian Geese wintering on our pond. They are so beautiful, and the family loves watching them. Speaking of critters, Ronny spotted a barn owl, so he had an owl house made for him. We hope he moves in and sticks around to provide eco-friendly rodent control!

We are delighted to now be offering our products throughout Utah! We are so excited to be hearing from new customers who love our juice and CoGoBars. Here's one from Ryan M.

Hello, I am a HUGE fan of your drinks!

"I really wish my nearby Whole Foods Market had ALL of your juices from your website, so that I could try them all. They all look so good! My favorite so far would have to be the Mango CoGo Smoothie Drink. It's packed with fresh fruit flavor, and I love the taste. Thank you for making such great products, and keep up the great work!"

Customer Nancy Craig sent us this ecstatic testimonial celebrating her New Plan for the New Year, fueled by CoGo Carrot Leafy Greens veggie juice. We could not resist posting her blog entry and photo (see permalink page)!

A liquid garden for your inner garden!!

"This is my New Years Resolution......A New Plan Resolution!! I wanted to incorporate more veggies into my life for my health....as well as get back to walking more.... I even want to do another half Marathon this Summer....so this is my plan.

I am actually on my sixth day of my new plan and I am loving it!!

I researched the area where I live to find some place that makes fresh juice drinks. Then I figured out the miles around the location. I walk half way, which is about two miles, to get my veggie juice and drink it on my last two miles home.

I buy bottled organic juice because there are not any fresh juice locations near where I live. That's where Columbia Gorge Organic comes in!

I usually get their Carrot and Leafy Greens drink. It has a load of veggies in it. This is what is in one 16 oz. bottle...you won't believe how many veggies are in it: 4 large carrots, 1 bunch spinach, 1/2 bunch romaine, 3 leaves kale, 3 leaves collards!

It says right on the bottle that it is a liquid garden for your inner garden! I love that!!

Everyone is different and everyone has different tastes and desires. Figure out what you like and what exercise works for you and make a New Plan Resolution and then just do it!!! The key is getting started and finding something you love. I LOVE WALKING!!! I LOVE the way I feel after I drink my liquid garden, and the way I LOVE the way I feel for completing the four miles!!

Here's to your health and new plan,

Peace and love,

Nancy"

When you buy Columbia Gorge Organic, you can rest assured that you are drinking, pure, safe juice made from 100% Organic fruit, grown on the West Coast. In fact, a lot of the fruit we use in our juices is grown right here on our own family farm! We don’t use chemical pesticides and never have. Recent reports about orange juice containing carbendazim, a toxic mold inhibitor, apply only to commercially grown oranges from south America.

 
All of our orange juice comes from longtime organic farms in California and Texas. We know our fellow growers well. We may pay a little more for US grown, organic oranges but you get what you pay for. Chemical free, fantastically sweet, premium orange juice.

The whole Stewart Family just returned from Hawaii – a wonderful, relaxing trip for all. Now we are ready to rock the new year.

Big news for Oregonians: Our amazing U of O football team won the Rose Bowl…Congrats Ducks!

We are so excited for 2012. Stay tuned for ongoing reports on new products, places, and people. We LOVE our customers, and look forward to growing the happy CoGo community of organic juice and gluten-free food bar fans all across the country.

HAVE A WONDERFUL 2012 EVERYONE! Thanks for your continued support for our little farm and big ideas!

Christmas on the farm was wonderful. Delicious (and of course, too much) food, great company, and a lot of Stewart Family fun. We're taking the week between Christmas and New Years off and heading to Hawaii, to get some sun, sand, and warm tradewinds before the wet Oregon winter sets in to chill our bones. More on our trip when we return!

On the business front, juice and CoGoBar demos are happening a bit this week, and will build at the start of the year. We are now in Andronico's in SF, and other new stores will be starting in January – really exciting to move into bigger markets, serving customers who appreciate supporting small family organic farmers while getting to enjoy the best quality juices and food bars on the planet!

We are expecting a very successful 2012, seeing our juice and gluten-free food bars in more and more locations across the country... Thinking back to when we first started farming here in the valley – the first organic farmers in the area -  I can hardly believe where we are now!

Oprah's website featured us in an article on green drinks, We're happy to see the efffort she and Dr. Oz are making to get the nation more healthy in 2012. We are all for that, and here to help!

The orchards are abuzz with pruning in preparation for spring budding. It will be going on for the next three or four months. Labor intensive, grueling work but it feels good to get every tree in tip top shape for the coming year. And we are happy to employ local workers to get the job done.

Here's hoping your New Years celebrations are safe and satisfying for you and yours. May we all continue to take care of one another!

Yours in Peace and Health

Cheryl Stewart

We are packing Bosc pears today. They are my favorite pear variety. They are great to have around the kitchen... Slice them into salads, bake with pork roast, or combine with appples in your next tart or cobbler. Here's a bit of info on Boscs:

"Bosc are an elegant variety, with distinctive characteristics that set them apart from other pears. Those who are familiar with Bosc appreciate their crunchy yet tender flesh and their sweet-spiced flavor. A common misconception is that Bosc pears need to be peeled or cooked before being eaten, and that's simply not true. Those who have not tried a Bosc would most likely be surprised... and pleased that the brown skin hides a delicious, spicy and slightly firmer flesh.

Bosc pears stand out in a crowd for many reasons. Their long, curved stem and elegant elongated neck that widens gradually to a full rounded base creates a silhouette that is unique among pears. Bosc are also unique for their color: a warm cinnamon brown with russeting over the surface of the skin.

Russeting is a natural appearance for Bosc. The russeting may cover the entire surface of the pear or it may just be seen over a small portion of the skin. In either case, the quality of the fruit is not affected. In fact, many artists feature the russeted Bosc pear in their paintings, drawings, and photography because of the natural beauty it imparts."  From www.usapears.org

As for the rest of the CoGo World...

Winter has been pretty mild in the Northwest. We feel lucky to see so much sun up here in the usually gray season.

All of our winter drinks are out. Our customers love that we are able to offer truly seasonal products. Winter seasonals include juices made with Pears, Blood Oranges, Meyer Lemons with Ginger, and of couse delicious Tangerines. Get them now while you can and enjoy the crisp, tart, sweet, and tangy treats of Winter.

CoGoBars sustained us in Disneyland, and I'm still eating one a day. If you haven't tried them yet, do. Especially if you are looking for organic, gluten free food bars. They're made with our home grown organic pears!

Thanksgiving on the farm was lovely.  We were 10, everything was delicious, and of course, all the food was organic. Jimmy has become a great cook...he made two fantastic veggie dishes. Ronny loves to come over on Thanksgiving morning to help me stuff the turkey and get it into the oven, and then he's off to play football with the kids. I watch the parade (and my favorite dog show!) before everyone comes over. It's always so nice to have this small window between harvest and pruning to enjoy more "down" time with the whole family.

Tomorrow we begin pruning - a bit earlier this year to stay on top of things. We'll start with pears, and it will take four or five months to prune all the trees in the orchard.

We continue to be delighted about the popularity of the new CoGoBars. Customers say organic and gluten free are big selling points. Plus they taste fantastic.

May you stay cheerful and healthy in the holiday season!

We are thrilled to announce that we were nominated for a Local Hero Award in the Beverage Artisan category for Edible Portland Magazine. Winners will be announced in March. Click the link text below to cast your vote for CoGo!

The whole family just got back from a great trip to Disneyland, which we gave ourselves after completing our biggest harvest year ever. We all needed the break, and we had a fantastic time.

Though all fruit has been picked, we'll still be packing it up for a few more days. The orchards are sleeping now. After the first of the year we will begin pruning in preparation for 2012 bloom!

Speaking of Local Heroes, we want to acknowledge Larry Hirst, our Chief Operations Officer, who has been making emergency product deliveries to our demo folks at New Seasons, Fisher's Landing, in Vancouver,WA. Twice, after a full day of work, Larry brought the goods to make sure our demos go well. We so appreciate our employees who take care of each other, our customers, and the company!