CoGo Farm Blog Archives for February 2012

Today is our last day of packing fruit until July, when we will start with Organic Sweet Cherries. Seems like only yesterday the kids were choosing their annual favorite cherry trees to harvest.

Our juice is doing fantastically! We try so very hard to bring people what they want, and we have a lot of wonderful loyal customers. We are really grateful for your support, especially when you don't see us at your favorite store and then tell them you want us. Sometimes the store's bottom line gets in the way of customer happiness, but they don't realize it until you speak up!

CoGoBars seem to do great once they get sampled. People definitely have their particular favorites (and non-favorites!), but it really varies. The little guy pictured here absolutely DEVOURED the chocolate CoGoBar. Please try them and let us know what you think. If you can't find them, email me and I will help.

I am really looking forward to all the blossoms, starting the middle of April. I'm sure our honey bees can't wait to get all that lovely pollen. The valley is so beautiful when it's all in bloom… glowing with color and bursting with the intoxicating scents of spring.

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.