WELCOME TO RUTIZ FARMS
HAPPENINGS ON FARM:
Our stand is now on Spring Hours:
Open Tuesday and Fridays---noon to 6 pm
Saturdays---10 am to 4 pm.
Our strawberries are ripening up nicely, with plenty of supply available at the farm stand .
For a limited time, we are happy to offer the Pixie variety of Mandarin oranges grown in Ojai Valley by Friend's Ranch. These fruits are 100% seedless, pesticide free, easy to peel, low acid and sweet as honey...a great addition to a kid's lunch or snack.
What's in the box this week:
The Chioggia beets have light red skin and beautiful rings inside, like red and white candy stripes. The flesh is very tender, mild and sweet. Named after a fishing town in Italy,
Here is a recipe for the beets shared with us by Jennifer Kelly Martin.
Beets with tender greens
Salt and freshly ground pepper
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Cut the greens from the beets, leaving about 1 inch of stems on the beets. Trim the tails of the beets to about an inch. Scrub beets well.
Wrap each beet tightly with doubled aluminum foil. Place the beets in a baking dish and bake about 1 hour, or until tender. Remove the beets from the dish and cool until they can be handled. Remove the foil.
Trim and peel the beets while they are still warm. Slice the beets thinly and season with salt and pepper. Toss with a tablespoon each of olive oil and vinegar.
Prepare the beet greens by cutting the leaves from the stems. Cut the stems in two to three pieces. Rinse the leaves and stems well. Blanch the stems for about 4 minutes in boiling lightly salted water. Add the leaves and cook until just tender, another 2 or 3 minutes. Drain the greens well and cool until warm to the touch. Toss with the sliced beets and the remaining olive oil and vinegar. Adjust the seasoning
and serve. That's it!
*Now I chose to steam my beats until they were tender when pierced with a fork instead of roasting them in the oven. And I topped my salad with a little goat cheese. MMMMmmm, absolutely delicious.
Here's an delicious recipe for the butternut squash sent to us by Laureen Wallravin:
Butternut Squash Creme Brulee
(fills 6 ramekins)
3 large egg yolks (fresh eggs, of course)
1/2 cup rapadura (option: substitute 1/4 cup with maple syrup)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
or you could use pumpkin pie spice
1 cup butternut squash puree
Roast the butternut squash for about 1 hr until soft, set aside to cool. In a bowl add egg yolk and rapadura and mix until smooth.
Add the heavy cream and spices, mix.
Add butternut squash and again mix until smooth.
Preheat your oven to 350.
Pour into ramekin cups and bake in a water bath for about 30 -35 min or until set.
Chill thoroughly before you brulee (burn them). You can brulee with a torch or under the broiler.
The tomatoes in this week's boxes are being grown by Debbie Chamberlain in the Salton Sea area ( the desert near Palm Springs ). They are outdoor grown, picked fully ripe for great "summertime-like" flavor and pesticide free.
The "Persian" cucumbers come from Ocean Breeze Farms in Nipomo. They are grown using pesticide- free farming practices. . The "Persian" cucumber is unique among cucumbers in that it has a thin skin that doesn't require peeling and has no bitter aftertaste.
This week's avocados are the Zutano variety grown by David Righetti of San Luis Obispo. Not quite as rich flavored as the familiar Hass variety, but still very flavorful when fully ripe. Let them sit out on your kitchen counter ( or put them in a paper sack with a ripe banana or apple to quicken the ripening process ) until they are soft, but not overly squishy!
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).
Sweet potatoes from Rocky Canyon Farm in Atascadero...certified organic
Juices from Chadmark Farms of Paso Robles...apple and pomegranate cider . All of his juices are "flashed pasteurized" for best flavor and nutrient retention.
Almond Brittle from Paso Almonds of SLO...freshly made each week by Rusty and his crew.
Persian Cucumbers from Ocean Breeze Greenhouse Farm in
Nipomo.
Dates from the Flying Disc Ranch in Cochella Valley, pesticide free
Blueberries from Gary Teixeira of Santa Maria..pesticide free.
Oranges and
Mandarins from Bob Polito of Valley Center, California.
"Artisan" breads from "Little Red Hen" Bakery every Tuesday and Friday
Vine ripened tomatoes from Debbie Chamberlain growing near the Salton Sea --- pesticide free.
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 and honey from Rock Front Ranch
