|
WELCOME TO RUTIZ FARMS
This coming Friday, we are honored to have Petrona Cumes come to our farm stand. She is a client of Friendship Bridge, a non-profit organization that administers micro loans to low income women and their families from Guatemala . Petrona, who is Guatemalan, is a weaver and will be selling some of her handmade scarves and purses that she has made. You can find out more about her organization at www.friendshipbridge.org
Once again our strawberry field will be open for u-pick each Tuesday and Friday from noon to 6 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. Bring the family out for a fun time picking our delicious strawberries. Bring your own containers or use our baskets to pick into. The price will be $2.50 per pound, which works out to be about $2.50 per one pint basket ( our regular price when purchased already picked at the stand is $3/basket ).
A special of price ( for this week ) of only $1.50 per pound will be available to those of you who pick 10 pounds or more. We will continue to have plenty of picked berries available at The Stand, along with all our other veggies and fruits.
This is a good time of the year to stock up on strawberries...A very easy way to preserve the berries is to freeze them....wash and de-stem the berries, spread them out single layer on a cookie sheet ( spray a little cooking oil on the cookie sheet to keep the berries from sticking), put it the freezer overnight, then in the morning collect the berries and put them into a plastic zip-lock baggie and return to the freezer. The frozen berries will last easily 9 to 10 months. They will be a little squishy "soft" when they defrost, but they will be great on top of ice cream and in smoothies...anywhere when a firm fresh berry isn't absolutely necessary.
WHAT'S IN YOUR HARVEST BOX THIS WEEK
This week's peas are the English "shelling" type. These are the kind that you must open up the pods and take out the peas...don't try to eat the outside pods...they are tough and stringy...but the peas on the inside are sweet and tender.
Give the kids the job of shelling the peas...they will appreciate eating the peas after they put all the work into them.
How about a nice fresh kale salad using the bunch of Tuscano kale in your box this week. First, gently massage the leaves with your hands for a minute to make them a bit more tender. Then cut up the leaves into thin "ribbons" discarding the thicker portion of the stem. Mix in a bowl with some vinaigrette dressing and chopped nuts and fruits and finish with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top..delicious and good for you! Or how about some "kale chips"...wash and separate the leafy part from the stem ( discard the thicker stems ), cut up the leaves into smaller portions, add a little olive oil and seasonings, put on a roasting pan and roast in a hot oven until the leaves are crispy.
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT OUR STAND FROM OTHER FARMERS AND BUSINESSES:
Blueberries from Gary Teixeira in Santa Maria
Pomegranate juice and sweet potatoes from Rocky Canyon Farm in Atascadero
Almond Brittle from Paso Almonds of SLO...freshly made each week by Rusty and his crew.
Vine-ripened tomatoes from Phillip and Nancy of SLO Grown Produce in Arroyo Grande ( pesticide free, greenhouse grown)
Persian Cucumbers from Ocean Breeze Greenhouse Farm in
Nipomo.
Goat Cheese from Steve of Happy Acres Farm in Templeton.
Oranges, lemons, avocados, and mandarins from Bob Polito of Valley Center, California.
Sweet Pea Bakery is at the farm every Friday, a little something to take care of your sweet tooth!
"Artisan" breads from the Eclair Bakery of The Village of Arroyo Grande every Friday and The 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."
Honey from Alisha of Rock Front Ranch near Cuyama Valley.
Sunflower "sprouts" from Carl and Ruth...one of our neighbors at the farm. "At Rutiz Farms, our goal is to provide the highest quality fresh produce while using sustainable farming practices, including legume green manure cover cropping, organic fertilizers, no pesticides and no GMO crops." Our goal is simple...to bring to our customers ( and their families ).. fresh, nutritious, and safe food at a reasonable price and good value.
|
|
Available at the Stand
Here are the items that we should have on the "table" for this Friday:
strawberries--$3/ basket
sugar snap peas and English Shelling peas--$4/ pound "Sierra Gold" potatoes--$1.50/ pound
Italian "sprouting" baby broccoli--$4 / pound
"bloomsdale" baby spinach--$2/ bag
broccoli--$2.50/ pound
carrots--$2 / bunch
beets--$2/ bunch
fava beans--$2/ pound
leeks--$2/ bunch
onions-$1.50/lb
baby mixed salad greens--$2/ bag of about 1/2 pound cucumbers--$2/lb
fennel bulb--$1 each fresh herbs--$1/ bunch...Italian flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, rosemary, arugula, chives, thyme, oregano, sage, dill
Mandarin oranges--$2.50/ pound
blueberries--$4/ basket
Navel oranges--$1/ pound
Honey: $13 for a 1 pound jar, Rock Front Ranch
Eggs-Free Range $6/doz
Flowers: sweet pea flowers--$3/ bunch godetia flowers--$6/ 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 VEGETABLESadapted 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).
|
|
|
|
|
Order Your Harvest Box
Produce in the Harvest Box this week: salad mix French "breakfast" radish "Sierra Gold" potatoes English "Shelling" peas broccoli "Rainbow colored" carrots "Tuscano" kale arugula "Persian" Cucumbers PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week.
|
Stand Hours
OPEN RAIN/SHINE
Tuesdays and Fridays
noon to 6pm
SATURDAYS: 10-4
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
|
|
