Rutiz Family Farms
Newsletter


WELCOME TO RUTIZ FARMS

This is starting to sound like a broken record....
With possible stormy weather in the forecast  for this coming week be sure to follow Rutiz Farms on Facebook and Instagram to find out any "last minute" updates of farm stand closures due to weather.. be sure to check with our "Social Media" sites if the weather is questionable.  
 
The recent wet and cold weather has taken its toll on our farm's produce offerings...the plants are either just not growing or many varieties are just turning yellow and giving up completely!  With March just around the corner, the days are getting longer and hopefully warmer...but much damage has already been done with the plants and it will take months to fully recover to have our full line of veggies to offer again.
Such is the gamble of farming vegetables here on the central coast during a "typical" winter.
Unfortunately, we will have little if any spinach, lettuces, celery, salad mix, snap peas, Mokum carrots, and arugula for the next few weeks!!
 
We have fresh  Chanterelle  mushrooms  available for a limited time at the farm stand.   

THIS FRIDAY AT THE STAND.
Teixeira Cattle Co beef.
 Little Red Hen bread
BlissRiver Organics elderberry syrup.
Kacey Cakes gluten free treats 
Central Coast Catch ( fish ) will offer their pre-ordered deliveries...contact Kevin Hall at 2ccCatch@gmail.com for sign up info.

THIS SATURDAY AT THE STAND
Jennifer from The Vreamery will have her dairy-free cheeses.
Shannon and Justin from MicroCosmic Organics will be offering their organic microgreens .
Nelson and Christina from N.14th Wild Bread Co will have their freshly baked breads. 
 
WHAT'S IN THE HARVEST BOX THIS WEEK
Grown on our farm using organic farming methods:
broccoli, fennel, beets, peas, Brussels sprouts, radishes,  green garlic and Spaghetti squash.
Zutano avocados from David Righetti in SLO.
Persian cucumbers grown by Ocean Breeze Farm in Nipomo...pesticide free.
Apples from Cuyama Orchards...certified organically grown.

Speaking about growing things organically on our farm:
Yes, you may encounter a few aphids in the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli...just use a strong stream of water from your kitchen faucet and you should be able to rinse off most of the critters.

With  spaghetti squash, most people seem to fall into one of two categories:
There are those who LOVE spaghetti squash as a lower-calorie replacement for spaghetti. And there are those who shun it, believing that if you're going to eat pasta, you should enjoy the real thing.
But I feel that looking at spaghetti squash as a pasta "substitute" in the first place does the vegetable an unfair disservice. The unique taste and texture of spaghetti squash ought to be appreciated in their own right, not compared to carb-filled noodles.
No matter how many websites you find that claim their spaghetti squash recipe "tastes just like the real thing," spaghetti squash will never be pasta.
And that's completely okay!
The following recipe is my favorite method for how to cook a spaghetti squash that yields non-watery results every time. It calls for roasting the spaghetti squash at 460 F, which is higher than any other recipe I've ever seen and works beautifully to caramelize the natural sugars in the squash and zap away extra moisture, leaving you with perfectly cooked spaghetti squash that is ready to be dressed up however you wish or even eaten by itself.
To Bake Spaghetti Squash:
Start by carefully cutting the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.
Place the squash-flat sides up-in a baking pan. If desired, scoop out the seeds and brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I usually opt to scoop out the seeds after baking.
Place the pan on the middle rack in a non-preheated oven, and turn the oven to 460 F.
Most spaghetti squashes will take around 40-50 minutes to fully roast, depending on the size of the squash; but if you have a small squash, it's a good idea to check it after 20-30 minutes or so.
Scoop out the strands, and add tomato sauce, cheesy sauce, alfredo sauce, salad dressing, pesto, or any other sauce you'd add to pasta
recipe courtesy of chocolatecoveredkatie.com


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.  You can add a little Balsamic vinegar before you roast them if desired. Or steam them whole until tender ( don't over cook them as they can become strong flavored and bitter ). 

SWEET & SOUR BRUSSELS SPROUTS from Bon Appetit web site:
Pre-heat oven to 400.
2 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts-cut in half lengthwise, toss with 3 TBS olive oil salt/pepper. Roast for 20-25 min, tossing halfway. Cook until softened and cut sides are brown.
Whisk 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 3 TBS sugar, 1TBS fish sauce, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS olive oil in a large bowl. Add brussels sprouts to vinaigrette.
Top with 2 TBS unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds(pepitas), 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary and 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or 1/4tsp crushed red pepper flakes.

A simple recipe for roasted beets:
Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Rinse the beets . Wrap completely in aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel using a paring knife or by pushing the skin with your fingers.
Slice the beets, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Use the fennel bulb as you might use an onion...cut up the white bulb portion and add to a stir fry...it will give you a mildly, sweet licorice flavor. You can also use the white bulb portion to make a salad by finely shaving and adding to salad greens.

English "shelling" peas. You need to remove the peas from the outside pod and then enjoy the peas raw in a salad or lightly steam or saute. Let the kids "shell" out the peas...they'll have a good time and probably eat most of them before they finish...not a bad snack!

This week's  green garlic...this is a true garlic plant, just harvested early, before it makes a bulb and dries out. 
They are the size of a large scallion and have a sweet and mild garlic flavor. Use them the same as a onion scallion or regular garlic...raw cut up and added to salad, sauteed in a stir-fry with carrots, broccoli, or potatoes... or coat them with a little olive oil and roast them on a bar-b-que or under a broiler. Use the bottom 3 to 4 inches, but not the leaves as they can be a bit tough.
The Zutano avocados have just been picked and thus will need a couple of weeks to ripened.  To ensure a quicker and even ripening, put the avocados in a paper bag (with a apple or a ripe banana) on your kitchen counter .

        PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT OUR STAND FROM OTHER FARMERS AND BUSINESSES: 
 Springville Ranch "Grass Fed" Ground Beef ..for sale in frozen 1 pound packages
Custom canned  Premium Albacore caught by Wayne and Diane Moody of Arroyo Grande.  Check out their website at EatAlbacore.com for more info on their sustainable fishing methods, their history and recipe ideas.

Medjool Dates from Christina and Robert at the Flying Disc Ranch located in Coachella Valley ( near Palm Springs ).

"Artisan" breads from "Little Red Hen" Bakery every Tuesday and Friday and N.14th Wild Bread Co. every Saturday.
Goat cheeses from Drake Farms in Southern California...apricot and honey, jalapeno, herbs de Provence,  and garlic and onion flavors. 
Heather and John Teixeira bring their locally raised beef cuts to our stand every 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month.  Sarah and Ryan from Beewench Farms brings their frozen chickens every 2nd and 4th Friday.
Almond Brittle from Paso Almonds of SLO...freshly made each week by Rusty and his crew.
Bone Broth made with BeeWench chicken bones and organic vegetables. 
Sierra High brand Lavender and White Sage essential oils.

Vegetable and herb starts from The Transitions Mental Health Growing Grounds of Santa Maria...pesticide free!  
   
We have two great beekeepers that bring their honey to our stand...Alisha Taft from the Rock Front Ranch near Cuyama  brings her sage and wildflower honeys and David's Blue Ribbon Honey ( and bee pollen ) from the Arroyo Grande area. 
   
"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 Standstrawberry
Here are the items that we should have on the "table" for this week:

delicata squash--$1.50/ pound
 Butternut, kabocha and spaghetti squashes--$1/ pound
baby bok choy--$1 / bunch
sweet potatoes--$2/ pound, purple flesh
green cabbage--$1.50/ pound
fennel--$1 each
kale--$2/ bunch
dandelion greens--$2/ bunch
collard greens---$2/ bunch
Green garlic --$2/ bunch
Brussels sprouts--$3/ pound
sugar snap peas--$4/ pound
English shelling peas--$4/ pound
chard--$2/ bunch
beets--$2/ bunch
radishes--$1.50/ bunch
lettuce-- $1.50 each
"Sierra Gold" potatoes--$2/ pound
parsnips--$2/ bunch
"Mokum" orange baby carrots--$2.50 / bunch
Chantenay carrots--$1/ pound
leeks--$ 2 pound
baby mixed salad greens--$2/ bag of about 1/2 pound
Bloomsdale baby spinach--$2/ bag
fresh herbs--$1/ bunch.. Italian flat-leaf parsley, cilantro , rosemary, 
Flowers: $6 / bunch

from other growers ( pesticide free unless otherwise noted )
Meyer lemons--$2.50/ pound
Cara Cara oranges---$1.50/ pound
Mandarin tangerines--$2.50/ pound
"Persian" type cucumbers--$3/ pound
kiwis--$3/ pound
apples--$2.50/ pound
yellow onions--$1.00/ pound ( "conventionally grown" in Washington State)
Honey:,$14 for a 1 pound jar, $22 for a 2 pound jar
goat cheese--$7/ tub
almond brittle--$5 / 5 oz bag or $13/ 1 pound bag

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 $20 / 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!

  

Week of March 1 2019

In This Issue
Available at the Stand
Harvest Box Info

Order Your Harvest Box  
Click Here      
.
(this ordering link is only active until 7am  Friday of the week that this newsletter was originally sent out. )
Harvest Box   

Produce in the Harvest Box this week:

Brussels sprouts

fennel bulb

green garlic

beets

spaghetti squash 

red radish

"Persian" type cucumbers

broccoli

English "shelling" peas

Zutano avocados

apples from Cuyama

  PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week.
Stand Hours
OPEN RAIN/SHINE 

Tuesdays through Fridays: noon to 5pm
Saturdays: 10am to 4pm

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


 
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Thank you for choosing to support our farm and local, pesticide free, sustainable agriculture.

Jerry & Maureen
Rutiz Family Farms