Rutiz Farms Newsletter for July 20

Rutiz Family Farms
Newsletter

Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM . Stand

Our strawberries are winding down for the season....we will continue to have them for sale on the stand table for a few more weeks, but we are finished with the u-pick. Our raspberries are coming on slowly...we'll have ample supplies on the table for this week, but still not enough to open the field for u-pick....maybe in another week or so. Our blackberries are sweet and juicy...we should have plenty for the table for this week. The corn still looks like another 10 days off. Our tomatoes are just starting to come in...plenty in another 10 days.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK

This week's "heirloom" tomatoes come from Tutti Frutti Farms. They are located just east of Lompoc and all of their produce is certified organic.

The "fingerling" potatoes are great for steaming or roasting whole...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)
--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 insides are soft.

The apricots are from Mike Cirone of See Canyon. They are at their peak, sweet and juicy. His trees are "dry-land" farmed and grown using only winter- time dormant sprays, used to keep diseases away.

The Persian cucumbers are from our own farm this week...no bitter skins, no need to peel...just be sure to eat them within a few days. Their thin skins make them especially crunchy, but they don't hold up in the refrigerator as long as a typical "waxed" thick skinned cucumber.

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 ...(you can reach her direct at Sweetpeabakeryag.blogspot.com).
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.
Tree Fruit from Mike Cirone in See Canyon
Avocados from David Righetti of San Luis Obispo

Blueberries from Gary Teixeria of Santa Maria

"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 Arroyo Grande

Sunflower "sprouts" from Carl and Ruth...one of our neighbors at the farm.

Available at the Stand strawberry

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.
Green beans--$2.50/ pound
"Jerry's" strawberries--$3/ basket or $30/ flat

"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
Basil--$1/ bunch
sunflower sprouts--$3 per 1/4 pound
Mandarin oranges--$2.50/ pound
apricots--$2.50/ pound
Valencia oranges--$1/ pound
Blueberries--$4/ basket
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

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!

RECIPES

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).

Week of July 20, 2012

In This Issue

Available at the Stand

Harvest Box Info

Recipes

Order Your Harvest Box

Click Here

Produce in the Harvest Box this week:

salad mix

broccoli

mixed colored "heirloom" tomatoes

"Blue Lake" green beans

carrots

"Persian" cucumbers

fingerling potatoes

onions

avocado

"See Canyon" apricots

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

Thank you for choosing to support our farm and local, pesticide free, sustainable agriculture.

Jerry Rutiz

Rutiz Family Farms