Rutiz Farms Newsletter for Feb 18

Rutiz Family Farms
Newsletter

Welcome to Rutiz Farms Stand

NEWS OF THE FARM

The Valentine Day flower sales at the stand on Monday was a great success. I heard from several men who commented that their wives had forwarded our Valentine's Flower email...with the hint "don't forget your Valentine"....I hope the flower bouquets helped!
Better yet, the "honor" payment cash box was well respected by everyone...maybe we can try this again on other holidays and during the strawberry season....then we could offer the berries at the stand even during the days when we are not normally open.

Remember...the stand is closed Saturdays until March 2011.

We do not offer the SLO city deliveries during the winter months.

The SLO deliveries will start again on Thursday March 17. Next week's newsletter will have information on signing up.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
The rainbow colored carrots are good for a change from the typical orange carrot. Although not quite as sweet as the orange variety, they still are fun for some new color on your veggie tray or stirfry dish.
The "French breakfast" radish are a little milder than the typical red radish...delicious cut up in your salad or lightly roasted with other veggies.
The "English" shelling peas are sweet and tender...just remember that these are the ones that you need to take out of their outer pod ( the outside pod is not good for eating, it's tough and stringy).Use them raw in salads and snacking or saute them lightly in a little butter or olive oil and garlic or add them as a last item in your stirfry. Use the baby "Bloomsdale" spinach as the base for a simple spinach salad ( or see below for a more involved spinach salad recipe) or saute the leaves lightly in a little olive oil and garlic...but don't overcook, keep it a little "crunchy"!

Also available at our stand from other farmers and businesses: We are proud to again offer freshly made "artisan" breads from the Eclair Bakery of The Village of Arroyo Grande. Every Friday afternoon, we will have for sale such creations as blue cheese pecan, Asiago cheese onion, sourdough, honey whole wheat and baguettes. These breads are a real treat, coming hot out of the Bakery's oven on Friday mornings, great to accompany our veggies for your Friday night dinner! Most loaves will run about $5, with the baguettes about $3.

The Transitions Mental Health Growing Grounds of Santa Maria, a non profit organization that uses growing of potted plants as therapy for their clients, is supplying us with bedding plants to sell at our stand. Vegetable and herb starts in 4 packs and 4 inch pots of perennial herbs, along with herb bowls are currently available for purchase. Help to support their worthwhile work programs by using their potted plant starts in your garden this spring. You might think that if our customers have their own gardens, it might take away business from the stand...but I think quite the opposite...when people realize how much work it is to raise their own vegetables, they have a greater appreciation for the work we put in every day at the farm.

As many of you know, we travel down to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market every Wednesday. In being down there, I am able to meet other farmers from all over the state... selling all kinds of fruits and vegetables that I may not have growing on our farm. My latest find are " outside" grown tomatoes from Debbie Chamberlain of the Salton Sea ( near Palm Springs). Not being "greenhouse" grown, these tomatoes are pesticide free ( except for a little sulfur dust, which is approved for use on organic farms) and are picked fully vine ripe, having a great tomato flavor...just like a summer grown tomato from your garden!

Heirloom Sonora Whole Wheat Flour from Huasna Valley Farm.

"Locally Grown, Freshly Milled"

The price will be $6.75 for a 21/2 pound bag of freshly milled flour.
Recipes will be available at www.huasnavalleyfarm.com.

Do you have interest in joining the fish CSA with pick ups at our stand each Friday ( weather permitting that the fisherman can get out to catch fish!) ?... "Margie the fish lady is taking sign-ups for the winter season. Call her at 481-5827 or email her at slofreshcatch@hughes.net."

Be sure to check out our "new and improved" web site at www.Rutizfarms.com. You will find many of our recipes and past newsletters archived and a "blog" page where you can see pictures and discussion of current and past events at the farm!

Available at the Stand strawberry

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

snap peas--$4/ pound

"Sierra Gold" potatoes--$1.50/ pound
Brussels sprouts---$3.00/ pound
cabbage--75c/ pound
pie pumpkins--75c/ pound
winter squashes---$1/ pound, butternut, kabocha, red kuri,
delicata squash--$1.50/ pound
"Tuscano" kale--$2 / bunch
"rainbow" colored chard--$2 / bunch
broccoli--$2/ pound
Italian "sprouting" baby broccoli--$4 / pound
radishes--$1 / bunch
artichokes--50c to $1.50 each
cauliflower--$2/ pound for white, $3/ pound for the orange color
carrots--$2 / bunch
baby mixed salad greens--$2/ bag of about 1/2 pound
baby spinach--$2/ bag of about 1/2 pound

fennel bulb--$1 each

Italian flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, -$1/ bunch
sunflower sprouts--$3 / 1/4 pound
Tomatoes from the Salton Sea--$3/ pound
apples--$1.50/ pound
Mandarin oranges--$2.50/ pound
kiwis--3 for $1
"Haas" avocados--$1 each

honey: 1 pound--$10,

( all honey products from David's Blue Ribbon Honey, Arroyo Grande)
fresh flowers: $5 to $9 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!

RECIPES

For more recipe ideas, go to our web site at www.Rutizfarms.com and click on the "recipe" page.

Fresh spinach salad

Ingredients:
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or cider)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp salad oil
1/2 garlic clove
4 cups crisp spinach, hard stems removed
2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
4 fresh mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup broccoli sliced into small pieces (optional)

How to make this recipe:
Mix first 7 ingredients and refrigerate. Tear spinach into bite-sized pieces and prepare remaining ingredients. Add dressing just before serving, having removed the garlic clove. Prep time: 10-15 minutes



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Buttermilk Pancakes

These pancakes are simply amazing. Grab some buttermilk from the store and throw together a batch for what many people claim to be the best pancakes they have ever tasted. Makes about 1 dozen pancakes (3 to 4 servings).

2 cups Sonora whole wheat flour from Huasna Valley Farm

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/3 cups buttermilk

2 eggs (local, farm-fresh, free-range eggs are best!)

3 tablespoons of your favorite vegetable oil (butter works, we use melted coconut oil)

1. Mix together dry ingredients in medium bowl. In another bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk and melted butter or oil. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until incorporated (don't stir more than necessary).

Cook on medium heat skillet about 1/3 cup at a time for each pancake. Cook for about 3 minutes until bubbles form on top of the pancakes and then flip. Cook for another 30 seconds to one minute and serve.