Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM . 
The stand is now open until 6pm each Tuesday and Friday. Starting this Saturday, April 7, we will again have our stand open from 10am to 3pm....be sure to stop by and pick up some veggies, berries and flowers for your Easter meal.
For those of you who are thinking about planting their own garden, we now have plenty of tomato plants in 4 inch pots from The Growing Grounds Farm in Santa Maria. We have old standard heirloom varieties and the newest hybrids.
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.
If you would like to pick up your box at The Equilibrium Fitness Center in the Marigold Shopping Center...here's the info:
We will start deliveries on Thursday, April 19 and continue for each Thursday, ending June 7.
The cost for the 8 weeks of produce boxes will be $144 ( $18 per week).
You do not have to be a member of The Equilibrium Fitness Center to pick up your box at this location...they welcome anyone to come in.
To reserve your subscription please email me at info@RutizFarms.com and let me know of your intentions and send a check made out to Rutiz Farms (for $144) to:
Rutiz Farms
333 Miller Way
Arroyo Grande, Ca 93420
To ensure that you will receive your box on the starting date, please make sure I receive your payment by April 16.
For those of you who are families or staff at the Montessori Children's School, UMCC, Bishops Peak School and Pacheco School. If you are interested in picking up a weekly box at these locations, please check with your school's Harvest Box coordinator for sign up details. Only those families associated with the individual schools may use these locations.
If you come to our stand in Arroyo Grande to pick up your box, please disregard the above info pertaining to the SLO city deliveries.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
The artichokes are large size...good for one or two people ( if you cut them in half).. lots of "meat" on the leaves and a big "heart". Just be sure to steam them enough ( put them in a large sauce pan with a steamer screen and 2 inches of water )...steam maybe an half hour or so...until the outer leaves pull off very easily. If you say your artichoke was tough and difficult to eat...it is because you under cooked it! This week's green garlic...this is a true garlic plant, just harvested early, before it makes a bulb and dries out. They are the size of a large scallion and have a sweet and mild garlic flavor. Use them the same as a onion scallion or regular garlic...raw cut up and added to salad, sauteed in a stir-fry with carrots, broccoli, snap peas, chard or potatoes... or coat them with a little olive oil and roast them on a bar-b-que or under a broiler. Use the bottom 3 to 4 inches, but not the leaves as they can be a bit tough. 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. Add a little balsamic vinegar to the chard near the end of cooking if you wish. 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.
The baby broccoli is an old fashion variety of broccoli that forms many small side shoots instead of one large main head ( like the broccoli in the supermarkets that may have a big, woody stem and sometimes bitter tasting ). The stems on the sprouting broccoli are small and thin, with a sweet flavor throughout. No need to cut off any portion, use the whole stalk and head in your saute or stir fry. Sugar snap peas...sweet and crunchy! These are the "edible" pod peas...so you eat the whole pod, no need to shell them. Great to use in a saute or stir-fry or raw with your favorite dip. The "Persian" cucumbers come from Ocean Breeze Farms in Nipomo. They are grown using pesticide- free farming practices. . The "Persian" cucumber is unique among cucumbers in that it has a thin skin that doesn't require peeling and has no bitter aftertaste.
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT OUR STAND FROM OTHER FARMERS AND BUSINESSES:
Almond Brittle from Paso Almonds of SLO...freshly made each week by Rusty and his crew.
Tree fruit from Cirone Farms of See Canyon and Polito Family Farms of San Diego County
Kiwis and avocados from Mallard Lake Farms of Nipomo Blueberries from Gary Teixeria of Santa Maria 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
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@gmail.com
David's Blue Ribbon Honey...regular honey, honey with comb and lemon and raspberry flavored creamed honey. Sunflower "sprouts" from Carl and Ruth...one of our neighbors at the farm.
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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