Rutiz Farms

Savor the Central Coast 2011

2011-10-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

We all had a great time at the Savor Event this

past weekend. Rutiz Farms had a booth in the

'Farmer's Tent' where we were allowed to do

a display that represented what we grow.

Maureen put together a fantastic display that was

very colorful and eye catching. Everyone seemed

to be having a great time and it was great talking

to people about what we do at the farm.

All the farmers had posters with their

pictures on it hanging behind them

which was a very nice touch.

The event was a class act from start

to finish. and we are so glad we

participated.

Artistic Pumpkins in the Patch

2011-09-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at a few of the pumpkins that

were engraved in our patch a couple of

weeks ago. There are some beauties

out there!

U-PICK STRAWBERRIES

2011-05-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

OUR STRAWBERRY FIELD IS NOW OPEN FOR U-PICK TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS 1 P.M. TO 5:30 P.M. AND SAT. FROM 10 A.M.TO 2:30 P.M. NOW IS THE TIME TO STOCK YOUR FREEZER, MAKE JAM OR JUST EAT TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!

Anytime Chicken & Cabbage Soup Recipe

2011-01-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the recipe for the soup we sampled at the farm yesterday.

ANYTIME CHICKEN AND CABBAGE SOUP
(adapted from The Shwartzbein Principle)

1 lb. chicken (thighs, breasts or whatever)
1 small head of cabbage-shredded
5 medium carrots-chopped
2 celery stalks-chopped
1 clove garlic-minced
2 lbs. peeled tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
4 cups chicken stock
2T fresh lemon juice or cider vinegar
In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot bring all ingredients except
for the lemon juice or vinegar to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour.
Remove chicken and shred or dice and add back to pot.
Remove bay leaf. Add lemon juice or cider vinegar. Season
to taste with salt and pepper.

CHRISTMAS EVE

2010-12-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

The Stand will be open on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. As a fun treat for our
customers, we well be serving free hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. Hope to
see you at the stand; but if not have a very Merry Christmas!!

Happy Turkey Day!

2010-11-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

All of us at Rutiz Farms wish you
a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cooking a Fresh Pumpkin-Easy as Pie!

2010-11-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

Making pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkins sounds
scary and intimidating but isn't at all. Last
week I tried cooking two different kinds of
edible pumpklins (as opposed to carving
pumpkins) and experimented with different
methods of cooking them. The two kinds of pumpkins
I used were the traditional "pie pumpkin" and
the more unusual looking "musque de provence"
also called a "fairytale" pumpkin. The 'fairytale'
pumpkin is shown in the above photo. The two
methods I used were steaming (in a regular
vegetable steamer) and baking.

The first method I used was steaming.
Before cutting into the pumpkin, rinse off the exterior
and dry it off. Next, using a serrated knife cut it in
the desired size pieces. Be very careful, they can be
slippery. Clean out the strings and goo and cut into
uniform size pieces. You can either peel now or scrape
the flesh away from the skin later. I peeled mine with
a vegetable peeler ahead of time. Place in steamer over
simmering water and cook for about 20 minutes or
until really tender- they will be slightly falling apart when
you pick them up.

The 'pie pumpkin' after steaming. It has
a more golden flesh.

The "fairytale" pumpkins after steaming. The
flesh is deep orange in color.

The next step after letting the flesh cool down is
to puree it. I put the pumpking pieces in my
food processor and pulsed it about 5-7 times and
it was done. To get rid of excess liquid, I put
the puree in cheesecloth and squeezed it a few times
to get rid of extra water. The puree was then ready
to use. The medium sized "fairytale" pumpkin
yielded 6 cups of puree. The pie pumpkin yielded
a little over 2 cups. You need 1 cup of pumpkin for
a pie. The other method I used was simply
cutting the pumpkin in half or large wedges
and placing in an oven-proof dish with about
a half-inch of water. Cover with foil and bake
in 400 oven until super tender 40 minutes to
an hour. Process cooked pumpkin the same
as above. I preferred the steaming method
but others swear by the oven method. As for
my favorite pumpkin- the fairytale is my hands
down favorite and the one I used for the pumpkin
pie bars I brought to the stand.
Note- the puree can be stored in the fridge a
few days or placed in freezer friendly
containers and frozen.

PUMPKIN PIE BAR RECIPE

2010-11-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I made these bars using one of our 'Fairytale' pumpkins and sampled them at the farm.
Here is the recipe:

PUMPKIN PIE BARS
from kraftrecipes.com

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter
1 cup old-fashioned or quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Heat oven to 350.

Line 13 x 9 pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil.
Mix flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut
in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in oats. Reserve 1 cup oat mixture, press remaining onto bottom of
prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, eggs, pumpkin
and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust. Sprinkle
with reserved 1 cup of oat mixture. Return to oven and bake for
25 minutes or until set. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then use foil to
transfer from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely , then
refrigerate for several hours. Cut into bars and serve.

Precious Cargo

2010-10-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

These two darling sisters came to the farm
prepared! They figured out a clever way
to get those pumpkins home-Why not
use those baby strollers?

This pumpkin is even belted in-just in case....

Bringing Home the Pumpkins

2010-10-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

This week was the start of people claiming their
personalized pumpkins and bringing
them in from the patch.

Sometimes the hardest part is finding your pumpkin....

....or holding it

The end result is worth it.

Can you tell this pumpkin is

for a dentist's office?

HARVEST PARADE

2010-09-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

OUR NEWLY RESTORED 1948 FARMALL CUB MADE ITS
FIRST APPEARANCE IN A HARVEST FESTIVAL PARADE.
DANIEL (ONE OF THE STUDENTS ON THE RESTORATION
TEAM) WAS THE LUCKY DRIVER.

JERRY THE SCARECROW RODE ON THE FRONT OF
THE TRAILER WITH A LOAD OF PUMPKINS FROM THE FARM.
OUR ORIGINAL IDEA OF PILING THE TRAILER WITH
OUR FRESH VEGGIES WAS ABANDONED WHEN
TEMPERATURES SOARED NEAR 90 DEGREES.

JERRY MANAGED TO HANG ON TO HIS NOSE AND HIS
BLUE RIBBON FOR THE WHOLE PARADE.

2010-09-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of this wonderful evening the embers were glowing and Jerry couldn't resist a marshmallow roast! The sky and ocean were bright with the "almost" full moon!

2010-09-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

We were lucky to set up out on the bluff, sharing the table with not only Full of Life Flatbread but also Huasna Valley Farms who supplied the flour.

2010-09-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

We were happy to see friends come out and enjoy excellent food and wine!

Palate to Pallet@Dolphin Bay 2010

2010-09-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

As the evening progressed the moon rose over the ocean keeping the evening bright. The warmth of the Flatbread oven had everyone lingering for just a few more precious minutes.

Saturdays at the Stand

2010-09-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

What makes Saturdays at the stand special?
It's all about the bread baby.
Our good friends Anya and Jim Bergman create artisan bread
every Friday night (and into Saturday morning) using
the kitchen at Eclair Bakery. The loaves are
priced from $2.50- $5.00.

The sourdough is amazing!

Anya
Anya and Jim are at the stand most Saturdays when the
stand opens at 10 a.m. and they would love to
meet with you and talk to you about all things bread.

Jerry's "new" 1948 Cub!

2010-09-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Rutiz Farms sponsored the rebuilding of this classic Farmall Cub; enabling Jim Bergman and Joe Bradbury to mentor Daniel and Jacob, local high school students. They restored it to all it's former glory for the SLO County Fair. Stop by the farm to check it out!

More Corn Roast

2010-09-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Princess of the corn!

Getting every last kernel requires concentration.

For some it was their first corn roast ever!

Corn Roast

2010-09-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we had our annual corn roast where we roasted up a couple
hundred ears of corn and gave them away to customers visiting the
farm stand. The corn was delicious and enjoyed by all!

Artists in the Pumpkin Patch

2010-09-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a glimpse of what is going on in the pumpkin patch. Many of you have
already "left your mark" on a pumpkin in our patch, but for those that haven't
and would like to, the patch will be open for engraving this Friday and Saturday.

Baked Raspberry Custard Recipe

2010-08-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

A while back, one of our customers shared this easy and delicious fruit custard recipe from the April issue of Everyday Food. Harmony has made it
about half a dozen times with raves from all who tried it.
Last night I made it and it was delicious, and best of all, it literally
takes less than 5 minutes to throw together.

Baked Raspberry Custard
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups raspberries (2 small baskets)

MELT Preheat oven to 400. In oven melt butter in a 9-inch pie plate, about 6 minutes.

BLEND In a blender combine milk, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla.
Add melted butter and blend mixture until smooth, 30 seconds.

BAKE Distribute berries evenly in pie plate and pour batter over top. Sprinkle
with 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake until slightly puffed and just set in middle,
20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

I used golden raspberries from the farm that I had in my freezer and they
worked great (no need to thaw). You could use any soft fruit in place
of raspberries like ripe peaches or pears.

Personalized Pumpkins

2010-08-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Our pumpkin field will have pumpkins ready to be "written on" this
week. There is a narrow window of opportunity for "personalizing"
your very own pumpkin, so don't miss your chance. The field will be
open this Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Raspberry U-Pick Tips

2010-08-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

With a few days of raspberry u-pick left I thought it would be nice to
offer some tips from some fellow u-pickers.

#1 Wear a cute hat-It keeps the sun off of your face
and looks very farm chic!

#2 Scope out the best patch of berries
Be prepared-this may involve a lot of tasting before any berries
actually go in the basket.

#3 Have fun!

#4 Sport your raspberry face with pride!

Summer on the Farm

2010-08-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their free sunflowers last week-
no flower says 'Summer' like a sunflower!

In spite of cooler then normal temps, we actually have
a small patch of baby watermelons to harvest
this week.

It's hard to believe we are into August and still
no sweet corn! I think Jerry has been saying
"2 more weeks" for about 6 weeks now. AND
maybe in two more weeks we will see some corn
at the stand and then we can start thinking
about having a Corn Roast.