Cactus, Citrus and Cauldrons at Mariquita Farm 

October 18, 2022 – “This is the largest Buddha’s Hand citrus I’ve seen from the farm so far,” marveled Andy Griffin, proprietor of 25-acre Mariquita Farm in Pajaro Valley near Watsonville, as he picked up the massive multi-fingered appendage. It looked like Kermit had mixed it up with an angry green octopus. Said beast was laid out on the dining table, along with a variety of other citrus, flowers, dried corn and mushrooms, comprising the most unusual element of décor assembled for this farm to table dinner. “It must weigh 5 or 6 pounds! I basically rescued the tree from its weight by picking it,” said Griffin, admiring the fruit’s almost frightening bizarreness. 

“What do you do with it?” asked my curious tablemates, who had gathered for a fantastic feast prepared by the chefs from Jack O’Neill restaurant at the Dream Inn, featuring produce from Mariquita Farm. “It’s a member of the citron family,” explained Griffin. “It’s a favorite of bartenders. They like to use its zest in drinks. They’ll slice off a finger and put the rest back in the fridge. It has a fantastic flavor.”  

It should be noted that Buddha’s Hand citron has no juice or pulp, but its zest is a fabulous addition to salad dressings, baked goods, smoothies and atop grilled fish and poultry. The skin and a bit of underlying pith can also be dried and sweetened and used in fruitcake. 

Earlier in the afternoon, Andy and his partner, Starr, led us on a tour of the farm that has been in Griffin’s family for generations, past a massive nopal cactus that took up much of the front yard of a beautiful red farmhouse. “I planted that thing in 1986, when I first moved here from Santa Barbara. It was a single pad. I wanted to bring a piece of my old life with me.” It’s a stunning specimen and a metaphor for the life he has built on this land, blessed by the perfect climate to grow citrus, flowers, tomatoes, corn, beans and squash. 

We walked down towards the labyrinth the two created during the pandemic, beyond which lay a brilliant bower of marigolds grown for use in upcoming Dia de los Muertos celebrations and in temples for Buddhist ceremonies. We walked through rows of gaily smiling dahlias and zinnias, used for their version of a CSA basked called “Mystery Boxes.” More on those shortly.  Starr and Andy pointed out herbs like lemon thyme and anise hyssop, whose leaves can be used like the Greeks use grape foliage for dolmas. We later enjoyed fresh caught halibut that had been steamed in those leaves, served with smashed potatoes and topped with a slaw of radishes and cabbage that chefs Gus Trejo and Greg Karjala whipped together with other veggies from the farm.

But, back to the citrus. Our group was divided into three teams to gather ingredients for a margarita throwdown, with a little recipe guidance from the bartending staff at Dream Inn. I immediately spied a golden yellow Buddha’s hand about the size of my own that had dropped to the ground, far too heavy for the tree to sustain it. I knew this would be a great addition to the mix. Our team, which included our intrepid magazine editor, Debby Luhrman, made a couple of runs at an ideal margarita, playing with the different rim salts Starr had laid out for us. The winning drink combined Rangpur limes (they look like little oranges – and oh, the flavor!), Lisbon lemons, Eureka lemons, limes, two kinds of oranges, Yuzu and the subtly exotic flavor of Buddha’s hand zest. Plus, I threw in a little anejo tequila and Grand Marnier—others used Triple Sec or Cointreau—to build complexity. That was some drink, and earned us the win, for which we were awarded glowing orange marigold leis made on the farm. We felt so honored! 

Starr explained that many cultures believe the scent of marigold attracts the spirits of their ancestors, which is why they are so popular in All Saint’s Day and other customs. 

Speaking of customs, we noticed a large cauldron hanging over a fire, with an equally large ladle used to stir the mixture. Griffin explained it had belonged to his grandmother, who was in charge of feeding all the farm hands involved in the dairy operation his family used to run. “She constantly used that cauldron to cook up beans for lunches and dinners. I am so glad I kept it. When chef Gus and chef Greg came up to check out our cooking area, they were so excited! We gotta use that!!”

Dinner including a steaming mixture of purple and white runner beans grown on the farm, cooked with mushrooms from Far West Fungi. Griffin told us the purple beans were called Akahana mame, a Japanese selection of Scarlet Runner bean. The white bean was Shirohana mame—a Japanese selection of a white runner bean. He says the beans are perennial, and were originally developed by Native American farmers in Oaxaca. 

Both types of bean had been cooked separately, with a bit of vinegar and herbs from the farm, then combined with the mushrooms to make a cauldron worthy feast, especially when accompanied by an enormous garden salad with apples and figs from neighboring farms—this is all farm country out here off Freedom Boulevard, where the apple trees are laden and the harvest is in full swing. Also served was hearty garlic bread, slathered with lots of butter, warmed in foil on the coals beneath the cauldron. In case vegetables were not your jam, they served short ribs with trumpet mushrooms, an utterly amazing flavor mashup. Dessert was an apple pie made by Jack O’Neill’s pastry chef from local apples. Wines were provided by Armitage and Beauregard. All good.

Starr and Andy created a mini-farmstand for us, featuring Early Girl tomatoes, Meyer lemon marmalade, various salts, dried beans, Indian corn and gorgeous ice-dyed bags, to give us a taste of the items they offer. Much of their produce and citrus go directly to restaurants and bars. They also provide weekly Mystery Boxes and bulk add-ons of seasonal vegetables, like squash, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, onions and herbs. Check out their shop pages for a full selection of currently available items. Seven convenient pickup locations are available around the Bay Area, including Santa Cruz and Aptos, as well as Los Gatos. The last Mystery box included watermelon, pickled beets, Pippin apples, pomegranates, Early Girl tomatoes, avocados, bell peppers, piccolo (an herb used like basil), chives and arugula. 

Pretty sure they don’t have room for a giant Buddha’s Hand in those boxes. 

Lucky me: Griffin gifted me that octo monster as we departed the farm. Carrying it was a challenge. “What the heck is that?” said the young man at the check-in desk as I walked into to the nicely remodeled Dream Inn, where the elevators work better than at most hotels half its age, and everyone is unfailingly polite and agreeable. “I’ve never seen anything like it!” I’m not sure he bought my story. 

Even though utterly alien, this mega citron seemed perfectly at home in a place where every room number plate contains the cheeky suggestion, “Dream on.”