Welcome to Rutiz Farms
HAPPENINGS ON THE FARM .
When you come by the stand this Friday, please take a moment to reflect and remember the victims of the Connecticut School tragedy. On our wood picket fence surrounding the farm stand, we have hung 26 black and white ribbons...each with the name of one of the children or teachers killed in this tragedy. The black ribbon is remembrance of all who have died as a result of violence. The white ribbon represents hope for a peaceful, nonviolent society. This is a sad moment for our country.
Looking ahead at our stand hours for the weeks of Christmas and New Years: Friday, Dec. 21 Open noon to 5pm Saturday, Dec. 22 closed
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..
. WHAT'S IN THE BOX THIS WEEK
See below under our "recipe" section for a roasted vegetable recipe...you could use the carrots, celery root, cauliflower, Brussels Sprout, potatoes and Delicata squash..all mixed together...delicious!
Included in this week's box will be an entire stalk of Brussels Sprouts ( this is how the sprouts grow...attached to the center stalk with leaves coming out from between the sprouts ). Some people have been know to use these stalks as a miniature Christmas tree ( decorated with lights and tinsel ) or as a centerpiece for their holiday table. When you are ready to eat the sprouts, simply pick them off the stalk.
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!
The celery root in this week's box is the funny looking whitish colored ball cover with small roots. Here's a easy and tasty way to prepare....wash off any dirt, cut off and discard the green leafy top and peel away the outer roots until you have a round, white root about the size of a baseball, slice in half or quarters and steam with the potatoes until soft like a cooked potato ( a fork will easily past through it ), Combine with the cooked potatoes to make a delicious mashed celery root/potato dish. The Delicata squash is delicious roasted in the oven. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, then roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until soft. The skin is thin and becomes edible when cooked. Another way to cook the Delicata is to make "squash rings". Cut into 1/2 inch wide rings, scoop out the seeds from the center, brush on some olive oil and sprinkle on a little seasonings, spread out on a cookie sheet single layer, roast in the oven until the rings become brown and crispy...the kids will think they are onion rings! The blueberries are a special treat for this winter at our stand. Due to the dryer than normal weather, Gary Teixeria, who farms just south of Santa Maria, is able to have some tasty and sweet berries ready to pick. Don't confuse his berries with the ones you will see in the supermarkets this time of the year...if you read the labels, you will discover that they may be coming from South America...or further! His berries are pesticide free.
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
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, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, -$1/ bunch
sunflower sprouts--$3 per 1/4 pound
apples--$1.50/ pound
Kiwi---5 for $2
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
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:
a head of orange "Cheddar" cauliflower
an entire "stalk" of Brussels Sprout
"Sierra Gold" potatoes
Celery root
a bag of salad mix
carrots
Delicata squash
Pomegranates
Blueberries
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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