Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM  . 

The stand is now open on Saturdays...10am to 3pm.

A welcome to those of you who signed up to receive our Harvest Boxes delivered in the SLO city  You do not need to respond to this email to reserve your box...you have already prepaid for the next 7 weeks.  

 WHAT'S  IN THE BOX THIS WEEK   
  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 "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 tomatoes come from the Southern California desert area near the Salton Sea. Debbie Chamberlain and her family grow these tomatoes "outside" ( not in greenhouses ), and pick them fully ripe for summertime like flavor.  I pick up the tomatoes from her each Wednesday at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market.
  The artichokes have 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.  Did you know that an artichoke are high in antioxidants, has only 25 calories, no fat, 170 mg of potassium, and is a good source of folate, vitamin C, magnesium, and dietary fiber? Try dipping leaves in a mixture of low fat yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon instead of mayo or butter.  If you say your artichoke was tough and difficult to eat...it is because you under cooked it!   

  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.

 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  Polito Family Farms of San Diego County
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!..

David's Blue Ribbon Honey...regular honey, honey with comb and lemon and raspberry flavored creamed honey.