Raisins that Rock

Red Flame Grapes, Thompson seedless, Sultana - candy from the vine. My old boss at the wine shop refused to "take his wine in pill form", but he would have loved these!

Visits with my in-laws always include animated meals and discussions of food. In the summer months when they come to Boston, we also get to enjoy wonderful treats from their garden and other California sources. This time, we got a backpack full of cherry tomatoes from their garden. They *pop* some of the California sun in your mouth. My first trip to their house included a garden tour and the sweetest crunchiest pea I ever tasted, right from Dad's vines.

To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of raisins, using them in oatmeal cookies or in oatmeal, not much else. This visit we also received raisins not grown in the Garden but in California. Forget what you think you know of "California Raisins." These raisins are huge and sweet and have made me a believer. The source is Casa de Fruta, a family owned business since 1900. Immigrants from southern Italy, the brothers started a cannery which was not so successful; then their sister took it over and expanded the business. Today, they offer wonderful dried fruits, jalapeno spiced pistachios, gift baskets and more. The raisins we received are not available through the website as they grow in small quanitities and are sold only at the premises.

The first thing you notice is the size of them, half the size of your thumb! And rather than hard, dried little things (remember the little red boxes from childhood?) these are soft and sweet. Amazing. So happy Clara took over that cannery!