Welcome to Rutiz Farms NEWS OF THE FARM
As many of you have noticed the last few months, the prices of food products in stores have increased substantially. This is mainly attributed to increases in operating costs for the farmers. Such supplies as fuel, fertilizer and seed have seen some big price jumps lately. To help offset some of these additional costs that our farm has experience, we have been quietly raising the prices on some items at our stand during the last month or two...most bunched items have gone from $1.75 to $2 and some of the items sold per pound have gone up a little in price. I still feel that our everyday prices are very competitive with "conventionally" grown produce available at the local supermarkets and far below the "organic" labeled products at stores....and besides our veggies are much fresher and taste better! By the way, in case any of you weren't aware ....we farm with only natural fertilizers ( organically approved) and NO pesticide use.
This all being said, starting this Friday, we will be raising the price of our weekly Harvest Box to $15. I still think it is a great bargain for what is packed in the box each week...we usually try to put at least $16 worth of veggies and fruit in each week, plus you have the convenience of a packed box ready to go home with you and you may even get to try some new veggie item that you wouldn't normally pick out.
Another reason that produce prices have been up lately is this unusually cold winter. The frost last weekend gave the peas, asparagus, and strawberries some trouble...but more so the overall cooler temperatures have made all the plants grow very slowly. So, we don't have as much products to sell right now...come the spring time, I am sure all the fields will come into production at once and we'll have an "abundance"! With these facts in mind, we are going to wait to open the farmstand on Saturdays until the first or second week of April and we will wait to start the San Luis Obispo deliveries of Harvest Boxes until April 7 ( except the Pacheco School which will start March 17).
DO YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR DELIVERIES OF OUR HARVEST BOXES FOR THE SLO CITY AREA?
We are now taking sign up for those of you who are interested to receive our weekly Harvest Box delivered to pick up locations in the SLO city area. The current drop sites are planned to be :
1) Avila Bay Club near Avila Beach ( available for the public)
2)The Montessori Childrens School ( available only for staff and families of the school)
3)Equilibrium Fitness Center located in the Marigold Shopping Center ( available for the public )
4) Pacheco School ( available only for staff and families of the school)
I would be open to new drop off points in SLO area if anyone wanted to get 10 or more box subscriptions at one place!
This spring's delivery program will start April 7 and run through June 9. You will receive a Harvest Box delivered to your pick up location each Thursday afternoon for the 10 week period for the cost of $180. If interested, please contact your school coordinator ( if you are at Pacheco or Montessori ) or if you want to use the Avila Bay Club or the Equilibrium Fitness Center...send me an email ( to info@RutizFarms.com ) stating where you want to pick up and then send a check for $180 ( made out to Rutiz Farms ) to:
Rutiz Farms
333 Miller Way
Arroyo Grande Ca 93420
I must hear from you at least 5 days before the start date...so we can prepare...also, if we don't have at least 10 subscribers at any one location, we may have to cancel the use of that location.
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.
Here's a quick and easy way to prepare this week's chard:
wash off the leaves and cut them in 1 inch wide ribbons
when you get to the ribs of the leaves, cut them into 1/2 inch pieces, heat some olive oil in a skillet and add the chard, season with a little sea salt and garlic powder, cook until the leaves are "wilted" and the stem portion are soft. If you want to make a saute using the chard, broccoli and snap peas, add the broccoli and the snap peas first ( before the chard) as they take a bit longer to cook.
The celery root in this week's box is the funny looking whitish colored ball cover with small roots. Here's a easy and tasty way to prepare....wash off any dirt, cut off and discard the green leafy top and peel away the outer roots until you have a round, white root about the size of a baseball, slice in half or quarters and steam with the potatoes until soft like a cooked potato ( a fork will easily past through it ), Combine with the cooked potatoes to make a delicious mashed celery root/potato dish.
Use the "Bloomsdale" spinach as the base for a simple spinach salad 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.
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!
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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
snap peas--$4/ pound "Sierra Gold" potatoes--$1.50/ pound
Brussels sprouts---$3.00/ pound
pie pumpkins--75c/ pound
winter squashes---$1/ pound, butternut, 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
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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 $15 / 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!
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RECIPES
for more recipe ideas, go to our web page at www.Rutizfarms.com and click on the "recipe" section
EASY TIPS FOR PERFECT 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.
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
Produce in the Harvest Box this week:
a bunch carrots
a bunch of "rainbow" colored chard
celery root
a bag of "Bloomsdale" savoy spinach
a head of "Little Gem" lettuce
a head of red leaf "Eruption" lettuce
"Italian sprouting" baby broccoli sugar snap peas
"Sierra Gold" potatoes
Mandarin oranges from See Canyon
PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week.
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| Stand Hours
Tuesdays and Fridays.. 1 to 5 pm
Saturdays...closed until April 2011
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.com for a map to the farm. Our mailing address is: Rutiz Farms 333 Miller Way Arroyo Grande, Ca 93420
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