Welcome to Rutiz Farms
The corn is finally beginning to ripen...for sure we should have some on the table beginning next Tuesday, and then plently for the next couple of months.
Still some raspberries available at the farm...either you can pick your own or buy them at the stand table. A few strawberries on the table and plenty of fruit ( peaches, apples and pears) from Cirone Farms of See Canyon.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
This week's box is very similar to last week's....but by next Friday, we should start to see some new items...like corn and tomatoes!
The "baby broccoli"
in this week's Box is a real treat..it has a sweet flavor not always
found with regular broccoli. Use the entire piece, stem and all, in a
stir fry or saute...don't over cook it, keep it a little crunchy!
See below under our recipe section for ideas for the fennel bulb...a quick and easy to get that fennel out of your refrigerator...cut up the white bulb portion in slices ( like a onion ) and mix in with other veggies in a roasted vegetable platter.
The "Sierra Gold" potatoes are great for mashed, steamed, fried or roasting...my favorite is:
--scrub the dirt off the skin---no need to peel the potatoes ( the skins have much of the vitamins of the potato)
--cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes
--place in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and seasonings
--place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan, single layer
--roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes or until the outsides are crispy and the insides are still moist and soft.
When using the potatoes for mashed potatoes...be sure not to overcook the potatoes and mash them first, then add warm milk and butter...that way you won't end up with "glue".
See below under our "recipe" section for an easy way to make up a delicious zucchini bread or zucchini fritters with all those squash you have been getting every week.
One of my favorite ways of using the zucchini squashes...cut
the squash lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices, spray with a little
olive oil and season to taste, grill on the bar-b-que or under the
broiler until brown on each side.
I am sure you have noticed the ice chest full of fresh fish at the stand each Friday. Margie ( the fish lady ) is still taking new members for her fish CSA . Her contact is slofreshcatch@hughes.net or call her at 805-481-5827. I have personally been enjoying eating her fish every Friday evening for the past weeks and honestly, I will say that every week's fish has been GREAT!
FYI---I am currently working to bring in a local "grass fed" beef rancher as a CSA pick up location to our stand...I will keep you posted.
FRESH BAKED BREAD NOW AT OUR STAND EVERY SATURDAY
We
are now featuring fresh baked "Artisan" breads for sale at our stand
every Saturday. The breads are created and baked every Friday night by
our friend Anya in collaboration with The Eclair Bakery in the Arroyo
Grande Village. Be sure to come early for best selections of her
delicious creations!
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Available at the Stand
Here are the items that we should have on the "table" for this Friday along with the prices so you may plan your meals and your budget
"Blue Lake" green beans--$2/ pound
zucchini squashes--$1.50/ pound
"Jerry's Berries" strawberries--$3/ basket
blackberries or raspberries--$3/ basket
"Sierra Gold" potatoes--$1.50/ pound
sweet onions--$1.50/ pound
"Fingerling" potatoes--$3/ pound
cucumbers--$2/ pound
rhubarb--$3/ pound
carrots--$1.75/ bunch
beets--$1.75/ bunch
leeks--$1.75/ bunch red leaf, little gem or romaine lettuces--$1 each baby mixed salad greens--$2/ bag of about 1/2 pound spinach--$2/ bag of about 1/2 pound "sunflower" sprouts--$2.50 for !/4 pound fennel bulb--$1 each Italian flat-leaf parsley, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, arugula, basil--$1/ bunch
"Haas" avocados--$1 each
lemons--3 for $1 honey: 1 pound--$10, "flavored" cream honey varieties--$8/jar ( all honey products from David's Blue Ribbon Honey, Arroyo Grande)
"Anja's Breads--$5 each
fresh flowers: $5 to $8 per bunch |
Harvest Box Info
You are welcome to come by and pick out individual items from the table or continue to pick up your reserved Harvest box or both( add items that may not be included in your Box that week)..The Harvest Boxes, which cost $14 / week , will be available for pick up during the Stand hours on Fridays only. I would ask you to kindly let me know by Thursday evening of each week, with a E mail response( use the link in the right hand column of this newsletter where it says Order Your Harvest Box) if you want a Box for the week. Please take note: this ordering link is only usable for the current week's newsletter....After Friday morning of each week, the ordering link becomes unusable!
If you are signed up for our deliveries at the Avila Bay Club, The Equlibrium Fitness Center or Kristen's house..you do not need to respond to our weekly newsletters...you are already on the "list" and pre-paid.
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RECIPES
Oven Potatoes with Fennel
1 pound Sierra Gold potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 1" slices
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced finely
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
Preheat
oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In
large bowl, combine potatoes, fennel, onion, parsley, oil, salt and
pepper; toss gently until well coated. Arrange mixture in a single
layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until
potatoes are crisp on all sides, 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately.
Fennel:
popular
as a vegetable in Italy, it can be thinly sliced and eaten plain or as
part of a vegetable platter. It is often served with just salt and
olive oil as a simple appetizer or salad course. It can be chopped up
into salad as celery, and indeed used almost anywhere celery is used. I
once saw it added to chili -it was delicious. Fennel is high is
vitamins A and E, calcium and potassium. Fennel and ginger make a good
digestive tea. (Steep the fresh leaves with a bit of sliced ginger for
5 minutes in boiling water.)
SOME FENNEL IDEAS from The Victory Garden Cookbook
Sprinkle chopped fennel leaves on hot baked oysters or clams.
Add cooked fennel to omelets, quiches, stuffings or sauces.
Add stalks to stocks for their flavor.
Add sliced sauteed fennel to fish chowders.
Cook fennel in your favorite tomato sauce.
Place stalks and leaves on barbeque coals as they do in France. The fennel scent permeates the grilled food.
Slice steamed or blanched fennel, cover with a vinaigrette and serve chilled.
Chop raw fennel and add to tuna fish sandwiches.
Slice fennel thin and layer with raw potatoes, cream and cheese to make a potato au gratin.
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
Ingredients
- 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (1 lemon) plus
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
- 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems removed and leaves finely chopped, plus more sprigs for garnish (optional)
- 1 medium onion or clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
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Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a
medium bowl. Add the salt, lemon zest, chopped parsley, onion or garlic, pepper,
and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps
form.
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Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over
medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of
zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons
zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.
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Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium.
Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining
zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Garnish with
parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired; serve.
ZUCCHINI BREAD
Ingredients
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3 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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3 eggs
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1 cup vegetable oil
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2 1/4 cups white sugar
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3 teaspoons vanilla extract
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2 cups grated zucchini
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1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
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Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
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Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
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Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted
ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and
nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
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Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes
out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan,
and completely cool.
ROASTED VEGETABLES
adapted from The Santa Monica Farmer's Cookbook by Amelia Saltsman
Roasting
vegetables concentrates their flavors, develops and caramelizes natural
sugars, and gives them that appetizing crisped look. Best of all, the
same technique works for just about any vegetable you've got on hand,
any time of the year. Follow these simple steps for great results.
Keep vegetables or vegetables pieces a uniform size for even cooking.
Toss
cleaned, trimmed vegetables with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher
or sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. For convenience, do this
directly in the pan.
Always preheat the oven.
Roast dense
vegetables, such as beets or potatoes, at 400 degrees, quick-cooking
ones, such as asparagus or tomatoes, at 425 to 450 degrees.
Don't
crowd the pan, or your vegetables will steam rather than brown. Large
baking sheets and heatproof-glass dishes are ideal for roasting.
Roast vegetables uncovered in the upper third of the oven for better browning.
r -- to taste
Halfway
through the cooking time, remove the pan from the oven and give it a
shake or use a spatula to loosen and turn the vegetables.
When the vegetables are browned and tender, season again with your favorite seasonings...salt, pepper, garlic powder.
If
serving the vegetables at room temperature, allow them to cool before
piling them onto a serving dish( so they won't steam themselves and get
soft).
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Order Your Harvest Box
This Weeks Harvest Box should Include: a "sugar baby"watermelon a bag of "Italian" baby sprouting broccoli "Blue Lake" green beans a bulb of fennel onions zucchini squashes "Sierra Gold" potatoes a bag of salad greens
See Canyon apples
PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week.
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| Stand Hours
Tuesdays and Fridays.. 1 to 6 pm
Saturdays...10am to 3pm
FARM STAND LOCATION:
1075 "The Pike" in Arroyo Grande. We are located on the south side of The Pike, between Halcyon Road and Elm Street. Visit our web site at www.Rutizfarms.comfor a map to the farm. Our mailing address is : Rutiz Farms
333 Miller Way
Arroyo Grande, Ca 93420
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