Pablito~
Last week’s newsletter, my April Fool’s Joke, ended up being darkly comic as real-world events almost as bizarre as the ones I invented came about.  By the end of the week, it became clear that the real April Fool’s joke was on us, as the National Weather Service joined in the fun.  The freeze they predicted for Friday night came instead on Saturday night at 2 a.m.  We spend several of the wee hours on Sunday racing from field to field, re-connecting irrigation pipes that had been disconnected after Friday night’s “false alarm”.

PISTACHIO RECALL:  TFF’s NUTS NOT AFFECTED
Speaking of false alarms, I must once again address last week’s recall of pistachios by the federal government, and their recommendation that consumers avoid all pistachio nuts.  I addressed this issue mostly on page two of last week’s newsletter because the recall was issued just hours before the newsletter was printed, but I feel it deserves front page status this week.  Pistachios from a single, very large processing facility in the San Joaquin Valley were recalled when random sampling by one of their vendors determined the presence of salmonella bacteria (No one has gotten sick from the nuts yet).  Further investigation proved that the company (Sutton) was not following standard sanitation practices.  Terra Firma’s pistachios were not processed at this facility, and we are 100% sure that our facility — Artois Nut Company — carefully follows procedures that guarantee the safety of our nuts.  We have been to the facility many times, and have a close relationship with the owner/manager.

SOME BACKGROUND
Pistachios are naturally more susceptible to environmental contamination than other nuts because a high percentage of their shells open while the nuts are still on the tree.  This is why California pistachios are not shaken onto the ground for harvest like walnuts and almonds, but rather onto harvesters with large tarps.  They never come into direct contact with the soil.  By contrast, pistachios grown in Iran and Turkey are harvested off the ground, which is one of the reasons they are considered inferior to American nuts.
 Nonetheless, an open pistachio hanging on a tree is still vulnerable to contamination — most likely from either dust or bird poop — even if it never touches the ground.  That is why, once harvested, all pistachios are washed and hulled to remove the thin skin surrounding the shell.  They are then dried at a high temperature and sorted with machinery that separates the open-shelled nuts from closed-shell nuts.  Finally, the open nuts are usually roasted at a very high temperature, which kills any pathogens that might still remain on the nuts.  All of the nuts you receive in your Terra Firma boxes are roasted (and salted).  They are then packed into large plastic bags and sealed.  Finally, the nuts are re-bagged into half-pound, vacuum sealed bags.

 The company that is the subject of the current recall somehow allowed unwashed, undried, unroasted pistachios to commingle with and contaminate the already washed, dried, and roasted pistachios.  This could have happened in several ways, but anyway you slice it, it was a result of negligence and bad standard practices.  It allowed what is rightfully considered a 100% safe product — roasted pistachio nuts — to become the vector for a food-borne illness.

The facility in question was the second largest processor of pistachios in the country.  This certainly gives the lie to the idea that when it comes to food safety, bigger is better.  Unfortunately, hundreds of farmers — big and small — are going to be devastated by the negligence of the processor as their 2008 crop becomes worthless.  While they will have certainly already received partial payment for their crop from Sutton, most nut growers do not get their final payments from suppliers until as long as nine months after harvest.

THE FDA IS PART OF THE PROBLEM
Worse yet, the FDA once again made a blanket recommendation that consumers simply stop eating any of the commodity in question.  So the negligence of one big company is causing economic ruin to a majority of pistachio growers.  They process so many nuts, that go into so many products, that the government simply cannot quickly and accurately produce a list of brands and products that consumers should avoid.

 To me, this case clearly shows how consolidation in the food processing industry and agriculture is a clear hindrance in efforts to keep our food supply safe.  I’d like to hear someone in Congress or the Administration suggest using an old-fashioned tool in the fight for food safety — anti-trust law.  We need a diversity of processors and producers of our food, otherwise these outbreaks and recalls will just keep getting more frequent and more broad-reaching.  In the meantime, please keep eating TFF’s pistachios!

IN YOUR BOXES
We had high hopes that the early pea patch would serve up a bumper crop of Sugar Snap Peas this week, but with two frosty nights over the weekend, the harvest was a bit disappointing.  Next week, we promise there will be Snap Peas in the Medium boxes, but this week they’re only in the Small and Large.

 The California Walnut Commission will shortly be rolling out its “WALNUTS:  THE ONLY SAFE NUT” campaign to capitalize on the fact that their product alone among the major nut crops has not been the subject of a FDA recall.  Well, not really, but it’s a fact nonetheless.  We are pulling out the walnuts this week mostly because we just don’t have a lot of other produce available right now, and it’s been a while since the last time we put them in your boxes.  Remember to store your walnuts in the fridge or freezer until using to preserve their freshness.

 With our Leek season over, we now look to our quickly growing field of overwintered onions to fill an important slot in our CSA boxes and an important role in your kitchen.  In a few months, these onions will begin to make bulbs and then skins, at which point we will harvest and dry them for bulbs.  But right now, they still have dark green leaves and a slender stem.  When we harvest them at this stage, we call them Spring Onions.  They are tender, moist and cook quickly.  They have a delicate flavor once cooked, and are wonderful when caramelized or grilled.  Plus, they are like a bi-weekly show and tell for the farm, allowing you to literally see the onion plants as they grow.

 If you’re the barbequing sort, this time of year lends itself to combination of seasonal grilling items that make a nice meal together:  lamb, asparagus, and spring onions.  Just brush everything with your favorite marinade or glaze, and fire up the grill.

Thanks,
     Pablito