Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM . 
Looking ahead at our stand hours for the weeks of Christmas and New Years: Monday, Dec. 24 OPEN...10am to 2pmTuesday, Dec. 25 CLOSED Friday, Dec. 28 OPEN... noon to 5pm Saturday, Dec 29..closed Tuesday, Jan. 1...closed Friday, Jan. 4...open noon to 5pm Yes, I realize this is a little confusing...but let me explain...we will be open on Christmas Eve (Monday 10am to 2pm) for a few hours to enable those of you wanting to get some veggies for the Christmas table. Then we will be taking New Years Eve and Day off...nobody wants to work! Reminder of our regular "Winter Hours"... The stand is open Tuesdays and Fridays, noon until 5pm, closed on Saturdays for the winter.
Time to get gifts for the holidays for your family and friends...how about giving locally grown and produced products that we have at our stand. By giving local products as gifts, you are supporting your community; getting fresh and tasty products, knowing where they came from (as opposed to items purchased at "Walmart" etc, that come from "who knows where".) You can put together your own "personalized" gift basket using individual items available at our stand.
Starting with:
...a gift certificate for our farm, in any amount you wish, that could be used for future purchases at the stand or for Harvest Boxes
...a bag of almond brittle from Paso Almonds
Apricot Jam made from Mike Cirone's "Blenheim" apricots from See Canyon...a very tasty treat...
a new spicy honey bar-b-que glaze or a jar of creamed raspberry or lemon flavored honey made with the local honey from David's Blue Ribbon Honey of Arroyo Grande..
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WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
.This week's squash selection is the kabocha squash. Having either a green or orange outside skin, the inside is a sweet orange colored squash. The kabocha is known for having a drier, sweeter and flakier consistency than many other winter squashes. Cut it into quarters, remove the seeds and roast in the oven until soft. Scoop out the orange insides from the skin and mash with a little butter, brown sugar or balsamic vinegar. See below under our recipe section for a great squash pie recipe. Here's a quick and easy way to prepare this week's chard:
wash off the leaves and cut them in 1 inch wide ribbons
when you get to the ribs of the leaves, cut them into 1/2 inch pieces, heat some olive oil in a skillet and add the chard, season with a little sea salt and garlic powder , cook until the leaves are "wilted" and the stem portion are soft. Add a little balsamic vinegar to the chard near the end of cooking if you wish.
What to do with this week's Brussels Sprouts...roast them whole by covering them in a little olive oil and garlic powder and putting them single layer on a roasting pan in the oven @ 400 degrees until they are light brown on the outside.
-steam them whole until tender( don't over cook them...as they can become strong flavored and bitter) or cut them up into small pieces, coat with olive oil and garlic powder, roast in the oven until they start to brown, then sprinkle a little parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on top and broil a minute or two more...even Brussels sprout "haters" will like this dish!
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).
Pomegranates and Juices from Chadmark Farms of Paso Robles...apple, berry cider and pomegranate cider..."flashed pasteurized" for best flavor and nutrient retention.
Almond Brittle from Paso Almonds of SLO...freshly made each week by Rusty and his crew.
Apples from Mike Cirone in See Canyon
Oranges and Mandarins from Bob Polito from San Diego County
Blueberries from Gary Teixeria of Santa Maria
Kiwis from Mallard Lake Farm in Nipomo.
Avocados from David Righetti of San Luis Obispo
"Artisan" breads from the Eclair Bakery of The Village of Arroyo Grande every Friday; and from "Little Red Hen" Bakery every Tuesday.
Vegetable and herb starts from The Transitions Mental Health Growing Grounds of Santa Maria...pesticide free!
Fresh fish and canned albacore for sale every Friday. 100% wild caught by San Luis Obispo County commercial fishermen. Or join the Fish CSA and get weekly deliveries; contact Margie at slofreshcatch@gmail.com or 481-5827." 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.
Brussels sprouts--$3/ pound
Lipstick sweet red peppers--$3/ pound
Celery root--$1.50 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
Winter squashes---kabocha, butternut, red kuri, spaghetti---$1/ pound
Delicata and sweet dumpling---$1.50/ pound
Sugar pie pumpkins--80c/ pound
Italian flat-leaf parsley, mint, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, -$1/ bunch
sunflower sprouts--$3 per 1/4 pound
apples--$1.50/ pound
Kiwi---5 for $2
cherry tomatoes--$2/ basket
avocados--$1 each
honey: 1 pound--$10 / jar
"creamed" flavored honey--$10/ jar, red raspberry and lemon "honey with comb"---$16/ 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
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heavy cream, for garnish
- Pinch cinnamon, for garning
Directions
KABOCHA PIE RECIPE
For the squash: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the squash into quarters, remove the seeds, put the squash on a sheet tray, toss lightly with olive oil and put in the oven. Roast the squash until a fork slides in and out easily, about 45 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool. Remove the skin and puree until smooth. Place 3 cups squash puree in a large mixing bowl,
Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heavy cream, for garnish
- Pinch cinnamon, for garning
For the filling: In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they are smooth. Beat in the cream. Add the cream/egg mixture to the squash puree and beat to combine. Beat in the condensed milk, brown sugar, bourbon if using and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is well combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour the squash mixture into a already cooked prepared pie shell. Place on the sheet tray and place back into the oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Rotate the pie and bake until the mixture barely jiggles when shaken, another 20 to 25 minutes. If the crust starts to get too dark, place a pie shield ring on the pie to protect the edges from burning.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.
Whip heavy cream with a pinch of cinnamon until stiff peaks, and top the pie as a garnish.
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:
"Rainbow" colored chard
Brussels Sprout
"Sierra Gold" potatoes
broccoli
a bag of salad mix
carrots
Kabocha squash
kiwis from Nipomo
Mandarin oranges
PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week. |
| Stand Hours
Tuesdays and Fridays.. Noon to 5 pm
Saturdays..closed for the winter
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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