Rutiz Family Farms
Newsletter

WELCOME TO RUTIZ FARMS

A friend of ours, Kaileigh, has started an on-line blog called Supermomeats.com.  She publishes recipes, many of them using fresh produce from our farm as ingredients.  This week we are sharing her recipe for  Delicata squash lentil boats (see below under our recipe ideas section ).
Visit her website for more simple, healthy plant-based recipes for the busy mom (or dad!) that can be ready to share with the whole family in 30 minutes 

The laying hens our waking up from their "winter" break and we're starting to see some increased egg production.  Hopefully, we should have plenty of eggs available for sale at the farm stand from here on out.  There's nothing like a nice fresh egg with a dark orange yolk and rich flavor.
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.
We'll also have colorful ranunculus and dutch Iris flowers grown on our own farm...$6/ bunch.

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. 

Our  strawberry crop has been struggling along due to the wet 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 to 3 weeks...if the weather is cooperative!

THIS FRIDAY AT THE STAND.
BeeWench Farms chicken, pork and bone broth.
 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, radishes, artichokes, kohlrabi, delicata squash, carrots and beets.
Cucumbers from Ocean breeze Farm in NIpomo...pesticide free.
Zutano avocados from David Righetti in SLO.
Apples from Cuyama Orchards, certified organic.

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.

Kohlrabi is a vegetable that reminds me of a potato crossed with an artichoke heart.
Using a vegetable peeler or knife, peel the kohlrabi and make sure to remove any leaves and stems.
Raw as a salad:
Cut 3 kohlrabi  into matchsticks sized pieces, toss in a large bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil, chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, 1/2 minced jalapeno ( optional ), zest from 1 orange, zest from 1 lime, juice from 1 orange, juice from 1 lime, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 Tbs rice wine vinegar.
Roasted:
Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly.

The  delicata squash is sweet and delicious and easy to cook. Slice the squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, season with a little olive oil,garlic and salt and pepper, place cut side down in a roasting pan, cook at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until soft, you can eat the whole squash...skin and all.
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!
DELICATA SQUASH LENTIL BOATS
 
 
Author: 
Recipe type:  Dinner
Serves:  4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 delicata squash
  • 1 cup cooked farro
  • 1 cup cooked green lentils
  • ½ cup feta
  • 1 tbsp. chopped leeks
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 1 tsp. curry powder
  • ½ lemon juiced
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Slice the top off the squash and then cut it in half.
  3. Next, use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds.
  4. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and place the delicata squash face up on the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and then season with salt, pepper, and curry powder.
  5. Flip the squashes over and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a fork can pierce through the skin easily.
  6. Cook farro according to package instructions.
  7. In a large bowl, combine lentils, feta, leeks, cooked farro, lemon juice, and olive oil.
  8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Scoop mixture into center of the roasted delicata squash and serve.
Notes
DREW RECOMMENDS: Adding ground turkey to the lentil farro mixture. Yum!

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.

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.


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.
  


  

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
artichokes--$2 each
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--$2/ pound
leeks--$ 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 , 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
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 22 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:

artichokes

beets

radishes
 
baby broccoli

 kohlrabi 

cucumbers

Mokum baby carrots

Delicata squash

Zutano avocados

apples

  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