Welcome to Rutiz Farms HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM . 
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.
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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. 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
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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 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).
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Order Your 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.
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| 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
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