Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY  Upcoming events:
This Friday, July 1, from 1 to 5:30, Full of Life Flatbread Pizza of Los Alamos will have their portable wood-fired pizza oven at our farm stand. Take home a freshly baked pizza, with toppings from the farm, for only $10 for a 10 inch pizza...vegetarian and carnivore options...free samples will be provided throughout the afternoon.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE BOX THIS WEEK:
A simple and delicious way to prepare the zucchini squash..cut the squash lengthwise into stripes about 1/4 inch thick, cover with a little olive oil and seasonings, put them on a hot bar-b-q grill or under a broiler for 5 to 10 minutes on each side until brown and crispy.
This week's beets would be delicious added to a salad with our salad mix, shaved fennel , sweet onions, carrots , avocado, zucchini squash and blanched green beans. Roast the beets first in an oven at 450 degrees F . Coat beets lightly with oil and roast for approximately 45 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool thoroughly, then peel and dice. Blanch the green beans until slightly soft...but still have some crunch to them .
The fennel bulb is delicious grated up raw and added to a salad or cut up the white bulb portion and saute with other veggies...as you would a onion. The fennel is also great quarter up and roasted with the potatoes and carrots.
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".
Our strawberry field is still open for u-pick each Tuesday and Friday from 1 to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. Bring the family out for a fun time picking our delicious strawberries. Bring your own containers or use our baskets to pick into. The price will be $2 / pound, which works out to be about $2 per one pint basket ( our regular price when purchased already picked at the stand is $3 / basket). We will continue to have plenty of picked berries available on the stand table, along with all our other veggies and fruits.
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT OUR STAND FROM OTHER FARMERS AND BUSINESSES:
Ciders and juices..."flash pasteurized" from Chadmark Farms of Paso Robles....pesticide free!
"Artisan" breads from the Eclair Bakery of The Village of Arroyo Grande...every Friday and Saturday.
Blueberries from the farm of Gary Teixeira, located just south of Santa Maria....pesticide free!
Sonora Whole Wheat Flour from Huasna Valley Farm..."Locally Grown, Freshly Milled"
Vegetable and herb starts from The Transitions Mental Health Growing Grounds of Santa Maria...pesticide free!
Fish CSA with pick ups at our stand each Friday..call Margie at 481-5827 or email her at slofreshcatch@hughes.net.
David's Blue Ribbon Honey...regular honey, honey with comb and lemon and raspberry flavored creamed honey.
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
blue lake green beans--$2.50/ pound strawberries--$3/ basket raspberries and blackberries--$3.50/ basket "Sierra Gold" potatoes--$1.50/ pound
"rainbow" colored chard--$2 / bunch
"calvo nero" kale---$2 / bunch
broccoli--$2.50/ pound
Italian "sprouting" baby broccoli--$4 / pound
cauliflower--$2/ pound for white, $3/ pound for the orange color
carrots--$2 / bunch
beets--$2/ bunch, red, orange or pink colored
leeks--$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
basil--$1/ bunch
sunflower sprouts--$3 / 1/4 pound
Mandarin oranges--$2.50/ pound
blueberries--$4/ basket
"Haas" avocados--$1.25 each
honey: 1 pound--$10 / jar
honey with comb--$16/ jar
flavored creamed honey--$10/ jar, raspberry or lemon flavor
( all honey products from David's Blue Ribbon Honey, Arroyo Grande)
fresh flowers: $5 to $8 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
Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Special equipment needed: A food processor
Method
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
Yield: Makes 1 cup.
ZUCCCHINI BURGERS
1 lg., or 2 medium, zucchini, sliced in rounds
1 1/4 cup cracker crumbs (20 Saltine crackers or other)
1 1/4 cup cheese, grated
1/4 cup sliced green onion
2 Tbs. parsley (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. cooking oil
Steam zucchini until tender. Mash and mix in cracker crumbs, cheese, onion, garlic,parsley,salt and pepper. Shape into 8 patties. Cook in hot oil 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Can serve on buns with favorite garnishes.
Or,
Serve on light rye bread or buns spread with a garlic & butter mixture. Then, toast in broiler. Top with zucchini, slice of jack cheese and a tomato slice. Return to oven until cheese melts.
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:
"Blue Lake" green beans
fennel bulb
carrots
beets
avocado
"Sierra Gold" potatoes
zucchini squash
salad mix
yellow and purple sweet onions
a basket of "Jerry's Berries" strawberries
PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week. |
| 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.com for a map to the farm. Our mailing address is: Rutiz Farms 333 Miller Way Arroyo Grande, Ca 93420
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