Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM . 
The strawberry field is going crazy with lots of strawberries...so to celebrate, we are offering a full flat of our picked strawberries for a great price of only $20 ( regular price is $36). This special deal will only be available at the stand for this Friday and Saturday. Any amounts less than the full flat will still be sold at the regular price of $3/ basket. You may ask...what am I going to do with a full flat of strawberries? A very easy way to preserve the berries is to freeze them....wash and de-stem the berries, spread them out single layer on a cookie sheet ( spray a little cooking oil on the cookie sheet to keep the berries from sticking), put it the freezer overnight, then in the morning collect the berries and put them into a plastic zip-lock baggie and return to the freezer. The frozen berries will last easily 9 to 10 months. They will be a little squishy "soft" when they defrost, but they will be great on top of ice cream and in smoothies...anywhere when a firm fresh berry isn't absolutely necessary.
Our strawberry field is now 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 $2.50 / pound, which works out to be about $2.50 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.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
ROASTED BEETS and SAUTEED GREENS
Ingredients
- greens
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
- Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
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 "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:
Kelli ( aka Sweet Pea) has her tasty baked cookies and cakes at the stand each Friday.
Almond Brittle from Paso Almonds of SLO...freshly made each week by Rusty and his crew. Mandarin oranges from Bob Polito of Valley Center, San Diego County.
Avocados from David Righetti of San Luis Obispo
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 from Nipomo 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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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.
"Jerry's" strawberries--$3/ basket
Snap peas--$4/ pound
English shelling peas--$4/ pound
artichokes--$1.50 to 50c each "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 green or orange color
carrots--$2 / bunch
"Persian" cucumbers--$2/ pound
beets--$2/ bunch, red or orange
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, mint, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, -$1/ bunch
tomatoes from the Salton Sea---$3.50/ pound
sunflower sprouts--$3 per 1/4 pound
Mandarin oranges--$2.50/ pound
Valencia oranges--$1/ pound
Blueberries--$4/ basket
"Bacon" avocados--$1 each
honey: 1 pound--$10 / jar
( all honey products from David's Blue Ribbon Honey, Arroyo Grande)
eggs from our "free range" happy chickens--$5/ dozen
fresh flower bouquets---$5 to $9 / 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
Please go to our web site at Rutizfarms.com for a listing of recipes for many of the veggies grown on our farm.
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:
snap peas
a bunch of beets
cauliflower
a bag of "Bloomsdale" spinach
a bunch of "spring" onions
"vine ripened" tomatoes
"Persian" cucumbers
1 "Bacon" avocado
2 baskets of our 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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