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California White Nectarine Pavlova

219summerwhite_nectarine_pavlova

Makes 6 Servings Prep Time: 15 minutesCook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

3 egg whites, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoon powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 fresh California Summerwhite® nectarines, pitted and sliced

Honey and Lemon Drizzle

1/3 cup warm honey

1 teaspoon tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 225°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Add cornstarch, almond extract and cream of tartar; beat for 30 seconds more. Spread into six 4-inch circles on prepared baking sheet, making a well in the center with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn oven off and leave meringues in the oven with the door closed for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Beat cream with powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fill each meringue with cream and arrange nectarine slices on top. Stir together honey, lemon juice and extract; drizzle over nectarines.

Per serving: 310 calories, 3g protein, 45g carbohydrate, 15g total fat, 55mg cholesterol, 45mg sodium, 1g fiber.

Variety tastings & Rootstock Tours

Friday started out as a typical day. But little did I know it was about to get exciting as I headed out to was another interesting day in the world of California tree fruit! Variety tasting and a rootstock tour were my next adventures as I continue learning about California tree fruit. I had never heard of either variety tasting or rootstock tours, so this was completely new to me.

As I approached the tasting, I noticed my soon-to-be father in law gather in a group. That was the second time I had ran into him in the past two days! I must say, it’s pretty cool that we work in the same industry. As I walked around the tables, plates of fresh peaches, plums and nectarines were displayed on the tables. They were for eating, and I brought an appetite!

Variety tastings are an opportunity for peach, plum and nectarine ‘breeders’ to showcase their new varieties of stone fruit, giving the growers and other industry members the opportunity to savor the latest developments in stone fruit. Breeders grow and analyze sample trees to develop the best quality peach, plum and nectarine varieties that they know will cater to peoples’ taste buds. That’s what it’s all about right- biting into the best stone fruit they’ve ever had? Variety tastings gives the growers knowledge and expands their opportunity to grow new varieties that they know shoppers will enjoy.

Rootstock tours are a different breed, don’t mind the pun. Rootstock tours allow growers to see tree root bases that can accommodate varieties and help the grower to grow the new varieties they would like to plant.
They accompany a variety tasting because they allow industry members to observe the tree’s growth and study their development for growth of new varieties. This rootstock tour was at UC Davis Kearney Agricultural Center. As we hopped on the back of a trailer, we made our way out into the orchards.

So now that you have a brief summary of what variety tastings and rootstock tours are and why they’re important to growing tree fruit, check out the video. And, don’t forget to leave us your thoughts in a comment. We love hearing from our readers.

~ Sara

Tree Topping!

Dale Janzen, a tree fruit industry professional, gave me a heads up that a local grower was tree-topping his trees. It is a fascinating process, and I couldn’t wait to get out there! Tree-topping is done by this grower once a year, but on average, growers do it every few years. They cut off the overgrowth at the top of the tree that the pests love to eat. The top parts of the trees are fresh, vulnerable foliage and the best option is to trim it and reduce stress that the pests can put on the trees. The machine that performs this task is a contraption that looks like a tractor at the base, but carries an upside-down blade that rotates spinning saws to cut the trees as it moves in between the aisles. It’s quite the machine, and it gets the work done! It’s a novel way to deal with pests and it’s pesticide free! It’s just another example of how California growers are always looking for new ways to grow a better nectarine. Take a look at the video as Dale explains the process.

~ Sara