Rutiz Family Farms
Newsletter

     Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM 
. Stand
  Blueberries should be back at our stand starting this Friday.  Gary Teixeria grows his blueberries just southeast of Santa Maria.  He farms them without pesticides and lets his berries ripen on the plant for best flavor...we carried his berries this past winter and spring and found them to be very delicious... and a healthy treat.   
WHAT'S NEW IN THE BOX THIS WEEK:
Use the green beans, broccoli or cauliflower,  carrots, onions and potatoes to make up a delicious vegetable saute.  To a hot skillet, add some olive oil, then add  (in this order ): cut up potatoes into small pieces, next add cut up onions, then cut up carrots, green beans, broccoli or cauliflower and finally, when all the veggies are pretty well sauteed, cut the kernels off an ear of corn and add them to the mix and cook another couple of minutes...the corn kernels will sweeten up your saute
An easy way to prepare the corn on the bar-b-Que...keep the husk in tact, soak the entire ear in water for a few minutes, then put on the grill for 10 to 15  minutes, turning once or twice..until the outer husk is browned nicely, remove the husk and enjoy!
You will notice a small bunch of chives in your box this week...cut them up and use as a garnish for your cooked potatoes or add as a topping for a salad.
  This week's potatoes are a cross between Yukon Gold and russet potatoes...our own "Sierra Gold" potatoes..  They  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 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...in other words, if you try to store them for more than a few days, they will get slimy!

This week's tomatoes are from our own farm... a basket of "Sun Gold" cherry tomatoes or some "Early Girl" red tomatoes.
The bi-color sweet corn tastes great...and there is the problem!
The "corn ear" worms love it too...so from here on out, we will be cutting off the tip of each ear before we put them in the boxes.
Hopefully, this will spare you from having to open your ear of corn and finding this extra "protein"
.

  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. 

Tree Fruit from Mike Cirone in See Canyon and John     Tennereli from Littlerock, California.
Blueberries from Gary Teixeria of Santa Maria
Avocados from David Righetti of San Luis Obispo
"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 Standstrawberry
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
raspberries or blackberries--$4/ basket  
"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
sunflower sprouts--$3 per 1/4 pound
peaches--$2.50/ pound
cherry tomatoes--$2/ basket
"early girl" type tomatoes--$3/ pound
 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


Massaged Kale Salad

Adapted from Cookus Interruptus

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch kale
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
  • ¼ cup diced red onion
  • 1/3 cup currants
  • ¾ cup diced apple, (½ apple)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  • Instructions: De-stem kale by pulling leaf away from the stem. Wash leaves. Spin or pat dry. Stack leaves, rollup and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade). Put kale in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, massage salt into kale with your hands for 2 minutes. To toast seeds, put in a dry skillet over low to medium heat and stir constantly for a few minutes until they change color and give off a nutty aroma. Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid. Stir onion, currants, apple and toasted seeds into kale. Dress with oil and vinegar and toss. Taste for salt and vinegar, adding more if necessary. When at desired flavor, toss in cheese.





     

     




     
    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 Sept. 14, 2012


    In This Issue
    Available at the Stand
    Harvest Box Info
    Recipes

    Order Your Harvest Box  
    Harvest Box  
    Produce in the Harvest Box this week:

    "Blue lake" green beans

    "Bi-color" sweet corn

    carrots

    salad mix

      tomatoes

    "Persian" cucumbers  
     
    broccoli or cauliflower

    sweet yellow onions

    "Sierra Gold" potatoes

    a bunch of chives

    avocado

    peaches
        
      
    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

    Our E-mail address is:
    info@Rutizfarms.com

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

    Jerry Rutiz
    Rutiz Family Farms