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By Laura Stec

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About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en...  (More)

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Cherries and Berries

Uploaded: May 24, 2017

It’s cherry season and wow - have you noticed it’s the cherriest? Seems like cherries are everywhere! I asked Deborah Olson why. She’s a 4th generation farmer at Olson’s cherry farm – an honest-to-goodness, real-live cherry farm, right in the middle of Sunnyvale. In operation since 1899, its boundaries have become El Camino Real, shopping centers and stoplights, but the cherry farm still survives and thrives. It’s surprising and wonderful to see.



Food Partiers! - if you’ve never visited the farmstand you must this year, and if you have visited, I know you will return. Olson’s is a classic Mecca-stop for local foods and the Valley of Hearts Delight (the moniker first given to Silicon Valley, based on it’s agricultural heritage.) Not only can you taste all the yummy dried fruits and fruit candies while shopping at the historic stand, you can buy cherries harvested just a block away.

“Cherries are prolific this year and delicious,” says Farmer Deborah. We just started picking Tartarians out of the Sunnyvale Orchard. Make sure to stop by soon as the supply is limited. Garnets & Bings are available [this week. Blenheim apricots will be ready around mid-June.”

Mark your calendar for their super-fun farm tours:

Cherry Orchard Tours
May 27: 10:30am-11:30am
June 3rd: 10:30am-11:30am
Meet at the Stand

Deborah will take you down memory lane, explaining the history of the property now called Cherry Orchard Shopping Center. Then you’ll cross the street to the 3 acre cherry orchard and be greeted by all kinds of cherry varieties to taste and discover your favorite. Wear comfortable shoes. Free for young and old.



C J Olson’s Cherries
Sunnyvale Stand
348 W. El Camino
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Monday thru Sunday 9:30am- 6:00pm

Come back on Memorial Day for Cherry Brie Quesadilla with Berry Chipotle Sauce and Heart Garnish. In prep your shopping list is quesadillas, fresh cherries, brie, can of chipotle pepper, jar of raspberry jam. It goes together quickly – a perfect holiday appetizer.




Democracy.
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Comments

Posted by Lauralies, a resident of another community,
on May 24, 2017 at 8:58 pm

it's the rain that brought on all the cherries. How were the mushrooms this year? Anyone mushroom hunters out there?


Posted by Jennifer Putock, a resident of Atherton: other,
on May 25, 2017 at 10:03 pm

One should be careful of the cherry that they carry because it might not be safe from harmful chemicals known to the State of California to be bad.


Posted by Laura Stec, a resident of Portola Valley: other,
on May 26, 2017 at 7:04 am

Jennifer thanks. Care to share more?


Posted by Evelyn, a resident of another community,
on May 29, 2017 at 11:26 am

I would be far more fearful of buying "fresh" fruit in a store than I would right from a local grower. By the time it reaches our tables, it is no longer "fresh." If you haven't had the real thing, you have no idea! Those huge beautiful strawberries for sale these days have zilch flavor. Buying the smaller fresh ones that are full of sweetness (home-grown are the best!) would enlighten anyone. Yes, I grew up on a farm and was spoiled from day one with the wealth of vegetables and fruits that are only a memory now, but wonderful memories at that! And everything we ate was organic, a non-used description in those days.....


Posted by Jeff, a resident of another community,
on May 29, 2017 at 3:24 pm

"it's" is a contraction of it is
"its" is possessive - a rare instance of no apostrophe


Posted by Chef Michael, a resident of another community,
on Sep 22, 2017 at 12:41 pm

I have been here many a time and I have to say the fresh cherries are unbeatable and this comes from a person who runs http://www.lasvegascater.com. We are doing our best provide food this fresh but it is not easy when you live in the desert. Thanks for being so cordial Deborah, I look forward to seeing you again next year.


Posted by Jose Pen, a resident of another community,
on Sep 24, 2017 at 7:23 pm

My aunt shipped us a box of fresh cherries from her vineyard and they were absolutely delicious.


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