Rutiz Farms Newsletter for Feb 25

Rutiz Family Farms
Newsletter

Welcome to Rutiz Farms Stand

NEWS OF THE FARM

New item at the stand:
"David's Blue Ribbon" honey with a piece of comb in each jar. A one pound jar will sell for $16....a special treat for kids and grown up kids...fun to chew on!

Remember...the stand is closed Saturdays until the end of March or the beginning of April 2011.

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

The SLO deliveries will start again on Thursday March 17 ( I think??) ...watch for sign up info in next week's newsletter....I am waiting to see how the weather works out...if the weather continues to stay cold and wet, we may push back the starting date a week or two!

WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK

The snap peas

are the edible pod type, you can eat the whole pea...just remove the stem and the small "string" that runs along one edge. They are great raw in salads, with dips or snacks in the kids lunches or in a saute or stir fry.

The baby artichokes are a great treat that are easy to prepare: wash off the artichoke, remove the outer 2 or 3 set of dark green leaves until the remaining leaves are a lighter shade of green or cream color. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1 inch or so of the top of the artichoke, then remove the outer skin from the stem( yes, the inside of the stems are very delicious). Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise, steam 10 to 15 minutes until slightly soft, remove from the steamer, coat with olive oil and garlic powder. Grill on the bar-b-que or under the broiler oven for 5 to 10 minutes on each side until brown and crispy ( or put them under a broiler). You now have a "healthy" fried artichoke heart!
See below under our "recipe" section for a great Cole slaw using the cabbage, carrots and snap peas.

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

Cole slaw using cabbage, snap peas and carrots

Ingredients

Directions

-		2 cups diagonally sliced sugar snap peas (8 oz. of whole peas)
-		7 cups thinly slice cabbage 1 bunch carrots, coarsely grated
-		6 tablespoons buttermilk
-		1/4 cup sour cream
-		2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried)
-		1 garlic clove, minced
-		1/2 tablespoon sugar
-		1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
-		1 teaspoon salt
-		1/4 teaspoon pepper

Servings: 6

Rinse the sugar snap peas and then snap the stem end off the pods. Cut the pods diagonally into small pieces.
If using head cabbage, cut into thin slices. Place cabbage and peas into a large bowl for mixing. Toss the sugar snap peas, carrots and cabbage together until evenly distributed.
In a smaller bowl, add the buttermilk (shake before adding), sour cream, dill, garlic, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until all ingredients are well blended.
Pour the dressing over the peas and cabbage and stir until well coated.
Pour the cole slaw into a smaller bowl and cover with plastic or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate until well chilled. Approximately 2 hours.
When thoroughly chilled, the cole slaw is ready to serve.