WELCOME TO RUTIZ FARMS
I know many of you are anxiously awaiting the time when we will switch to our "spring" hours...staying open until 6 pm on Tuesdays through Fridays. But due to the continuing possible rainy weather, we will wait to extend our open hours until the things calm down and we have more product to offer at the farm stand. Hopefully this will happen in the next few weeks!
Plenty of fresh eggs available now at our farm stand. With the day length getting longer and the weather getting warmer, the hens are inspired to lay more eggs. We feed GMO free feed ( no corn or soy ) and plenty of scraps from the farm.
Our artichokes are in full production and they are some of the best ones we've had for years! This winter's cold and rainy weather is just what artichoke plants like to produce tender and large artichokes. See below under recipe ideas for some simple cooking tips.
To encourage everyone to buy more artichokes ...a special price of $1 each for our large size artichokes...for this week only!
We'll also have colorful ranunculus and dutch Iris flowers grown on our own farm...$6/ bunch.
Our
strawberry crop continues to struggle along due to the wet and cold weather. We should have a limited amount of baskets for sale each day that we are open this week...try to come early in the day for best chances to get a basket or two. I see a good crop of flowers on the strawberry plants coming on, which will hopefully mean abundant berries in 2 weeks...if the weather is cooperative! If we are lacking this week with our strawberries...we do have plenty of blueberries from Gary Teixeira, who grows some fabulous tasting blueberries on his farm in the Orcutt area...pesticide free!
Our tomato and cucumber suppliers are out for the moment...so we won't have those items for a few weeks. We are just planting our own fields, but those won't be ready for a few months.
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 [email protected] for sign up info.
THIS SATURDAY AT THE STAND
Shannon and Justin from MicroCosmic Organics will be offering their organic microgreens .
Nelson and Christina from Wild Bread Co will have their freshly baked breads.
Jennifer from The Vreamery will have her dairy-free cheeses every 1st and 3rd Saturday ( but not this coming Saturday ).
WHAT'S IN THE HARVEST BOX THIS WEEK
Grown on our farm using organic farming methods:
broccoli, radishes, carrots, artichokes, sweet potatoes, salad mix, snap peas and bok choy.
Zutano avocados from David Righetti in SLO.
Apples grown by Cuyama Orchards, certified organic.
This week's
purple sweet potatoes
are grown on our farm by Raul, my foreman of the field crew. These potatoes are high in the antioxidant anthocyanins, the same plant compounds that give blueberries, pomegranates, and purple carrots their rich color and are said to have some get nutritional benefits. What's more, purple sweet potatoes tend to be slightly less sweet than orange potatoes, so they work really well in savory dishes and their pretty purple color actually gets deeper when cooked. The best cooking method that we have found is to peel the outer skin off, cut into sections and boil or steam these potatoes until a fork easily slides through them. By cooking them in water, they stay moister and won't dry out. A little butter on top is all you need for a nutritious side
Cooking your
artichokes
....don't use your microwave when steaming your artichokes. I highly recommend the "old fashioned" way and use a steamer on the stove top with lots of water. I feel it makes for a good, moist artichoke, cook until tender. Make sure a knife goes into the heart very easily and the outer leaves should pull off very easily. If you under cook them, they will be tough and inedible...but with the right amount of cooking, the artichokes should be delicious.
A new recipe that I tried last night to prepare the artichokes:
(1) with a sharp knife, cut off the top third of the artichoke and peel the outer skin off the stem ( like peeling a banana ) (2) pull off and discard a few of the outer leaves that may be a little tougher,
(3) cut the artichoke in half lengthwise
(4) steam until tender ( about 30 minutes)
(5) remove from steamer, let cool slightly and coat with olive oil and seasonings on all sides
(6) grill the artichokes, under a broiler or bar-b-que, turning a few times until browned and crispy on the outsides.
BOK CHOY STIR FRY from Allrecipe website:
This basic stir-fry can be served as is, or you can add meat or tofu to make it more substantial. Quick and easy, this is one of my favorite ways to load up on leafy greens. Serve with fluffy rice or over noodles. The bok choy cooks down quite a bit, so the raw amount may look like it will be too much before cooking. If you want a more robust flavor, feel free to add some soy sauce or oyster sauce to the finished product, but personally I like to let the simple but delicious taste of the bok choy shine through
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped) 1 to 2 heads bok choy (trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces..use both the white stems and the green leaves )
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the garlic in the hot oil until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Mix in the bok choy, and cook and stir until the green parts of the leaves turn bright green and the stalks become slightly translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to serve.
The peas in this week's box are the
sugar snap peas
...edible pod....which means that you eat the outside skin also...no need to shell these peas. They are sweet and crunchy, great served raw with a dip or added to a stir fry dish.
The
Zutano avocados have just been picked and thus will need a week or so 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.
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Available at the Stand
Here are the items that we should have on the "table" for this week:
delicata squash--$1.50/ pound
Butternut squash--$1/ pound
baby bok choy--$1.50 / bunch
artichokes--$3/ pound
sweet potatoes--$2/ pound, purple flesh
fennel--$1 each
kale--$2/ bunch
dandelion greens--$2/ bunch
collard greens---$2/ bunch
Green garlic --$2/ bunch
sugar snap peas--$4/ pound
fava beans--$3/ pound
chard--$2/ bunch
beets--$2/ bunch
radishes--$1.50/ bunch
lettuce-- $1.50 each
"Sierra Gold" potatoes--$2/ pound
parsnips--$2/pound
"Mokum" orange baby carrots--$2.50 / bunch
Chantenay carrots--$2/ pound
leeks--$ 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 , mint, 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
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
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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 $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!
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Order Your Harvest Box
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(this ordering link is only active until 7am Friday of the week that this newsletter was originally sent out.
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Produce in the Harvest Box this week:
carrots
artichokes
sugar snap peas
radishes
baby broccoli
salad mix
purple sweet potatoes
baby bok choy
Zutano avocados
Apples
PLEASE bring back the empty boxes each week.
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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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