Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM . 
This coming weekend is Strawberry Festival in the village of Arroyo Grande. Our farm will be celebrating "The Strawberry" by having our own festival at the farm on Saturday, May 26. Our favorite baker of sweet treats (Kelli..aka Sweet Pea) will have special strawberry shortcakes for sale at the stand...the shortcakes will be from her own baking ovens, the whip cream home made and the strawberries right out of our own fields. We will have bowls and spoons available at the stand, so you can bring the family out and enjoy a nice treat without going into the craziness of the Village.
In addition, on both Friday and Saturday, we will have our strawberry field open for u-pick and we will continue to have our special price of only $20 for a full flat of already picked 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
This week's peas for the SLO delivered boxes are the English "shelling" type. These are not the edible pod type ( snap pea)...so you need to shell out the peas. If you have kids around the house, put them to work doing the shelling...they will actually have fun and learn that raw peas are very tasty when fresh! Those of you who pick up your boxes at our stand will get 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.
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. As an delicious addition to a lettuce salad...cut up the garlic and saute in olive oil for a few minutes ( don't burn) and then add to the salad. You can also sauteed in a stir-fry with carrots, broccoli, fennel 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.
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.
Use the baby artichokes to make crispy artichoke hearts:
wash off the artichoke, remove the outer 2 or 3 set of dark green leaves until the remaining leaves are a lighter shade of green or cream color. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1 inch or so of the top of the artichoke, then remove the outer skin from the stem( yes, the inside of the stems are very delicious). Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise, steam 10 to 15 minutes until slightly soft, remove from the steamer, coat with olive oil and garlic powder. Grill on the bar-b-que or under the broiler oven for 5 to 10 minutes on each side until brown and crispy ( or put them under a broiler). At this point, the whole artichoke is edible...enjoy!
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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