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July 12, 2012 Volume 18, Issue 5
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Greetings!
Meet the Gardeners
My name is Whitney Canton and I am from Pine Island, Minnesota. I am a senior at St. Ben's pursuing a major in environmental studies and after graduation I plan to attend grad school with a focus in environmental design. I also am part of the Blazer basketball team on campus. Some activities that I enjoy doing are reading, knitting, sewing and spending time at the lake with my family. I am very excited to be working at the Common Ground Garden this summer so I can connect with nature on another level and learn more about sustainable gardening practices.
 My name is Samantha Allen and I am from St. Cloud, Minn. I am going to be a junior this year at St. Bens and I am currently a nursing major. My goal is to work at the Mayo as an RN, but I have also put thought into becoming a doctor after I graduate. I am interested in working in the garden because I feel like it will be a great experience to learn about nature and the variety of foods the garden offers. I love being outdoors and trying new things and I feel like this will be a great opportunity to learn and to incorporate my knowledge about the garden and what it has to offer into my daily life.
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Kale Swiss chard collard greens pac choi
 
snap peas zucchini
(eat the entire pea pod)
A Note on the vegetables... (by Kate)
I remember salad season lasting for more than three weeks last year, and beautiful broccoli that wouldn't stop growing, too. Has the sun prompted veggie delusions? It is a possibility, but more likely the sun had another effect. Indeed, salad season was longer last year, and the broccoli was more abundant and attractive. Both of these crop families appreciate cool, wet weather, something that we haven't enjoyed for more than a month now.
We may get some more side shoots of broccoli but we won't see leaf lettuce until the fall. And while it has been hot and dry, our summer favorites (tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans and the lot) aren't ready yet, and our early summer staples of kohlrabi, cabbages, and beets are also about a week out. Hang tight, veggie lovers! Good eating is coming soon.
Vegetable Forecast
Kohlrabi, green and purple beans, cabbages and zucchini are coming soon.
Bread of the Week Sourdough Last week we said it was going to be Green Olive Thyme and you received Honey Wheat ... the baker asked if we could swap because the weather was so hot. So, Green Olive Thyme will be coming your way in just a few weeks. Thanks for your flexibility.
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Distribution takes place every Thursday afternoon, unless otherwise notifed.
- 4-6 pm at the Common Ground Garden---You really can't miss the barn at Saint Benedict's Monastery. Enter at the college entrance from Minnesota Street near 4th Ave SW. Make a right at the stop sign and follow the gravel road out to the barn.
- 5-6 pm at St. John's Episcopal Church in St. Cloud. For a link on google maps, click here.
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Swap Bin
We want you to love and be able to use all of the produce you receive from us. If you know that you won't be able to use a certain vegetable, and you don't have a friend with whom to share it, leave it in the swap bin. Another subscriber who loves what you left behind can pick it up, or it will get distributed to another vegetable lover.
Bring us your Bags
We encourage you to bring your own bags to pick up vegetables--canvas bags are great. We recycle brown paper bags, plastic grocery bags, and egg cartons, too. All of those plastic bags in which you get your veggies are recyclable. Rinse them out and bring them in and we'll take them to Coburn's for recycling.
Composting
Bring us your food scraps! If you don't have your own home composting system, add them to the Monastery compost pile. No dairy products or meat, please. The pile is located just south of the big yellow barn.
Evening Hours in the Garden
Get your hands in the dirt on Tuesday evenings from 5-7 p.m. You all are the Common Ground Garden. Produce from the garden is widely distributed to subscribers, patrons of the Farmer's Market, Minnesota Street Market, and area food shelves, the Sisters of Saint Benedict, and friends of the garden who work in exchange for produce. Be part of the physical efforts. Kids and low mobility gardeners are welcome.
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Make homemade, natural chap-stick and lotion with Gardener Emily Reimer
Thursday, July 26, 5-6 p.m., in the Barn Milk House
Emily will lead us through the process. If you would like to take home a sample, please bring $3 to cover the cost of supplies.
Outdoor Movie Night at the Garden
Join the gardeners for a viewing of The Lorax on Friday, August 3, at 9:30 p.m.. Bring chairs or blankets. We'll have bug spray and some snacks.
From the Catholic Worker
All are invited to a "Clarification of Thought" gathering on Friday, July 13. Join us for dinner at 6:30 p.m. and then we'll watch and discuss Monseñor: The Last Journey of Óscar Romero. And Monday, July 16, will be a family friendly potluck and prayer gathering: 6-7 p.m. dinner, 7-7:30 p.m. prayer.
(35 2nd Ave SE, St. Joe)
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Eat your veggies and get ready for crafts with the gardeners. Bingo cards will still be available this week at distribution. This is a playful way to engage your kids in eating from the garden. Cross off vegetables when your child has eaten it. Any child who has at least 5 in a row by the end of the season will be invited for a special craft event.
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Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing (Martha Stewart Living, August 2009)
Serves 8
2 large bunches curly kale, center ribs discarded, very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, halved crosswise
and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup salted peanuts
Toss curly kale, pepper, and carrots in a large bowl.
Puree vegetable oil, cider vinegar, salted peanuts, light-brown sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth.
Pour dressing over vegetables just before serving. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped.
Swiss Chard Tzatziki (Martha Stewart Living)
Serves 4 (Makes about 1 1/4 Cups)
1 cup green or red Swiss chard, stemmed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 whole-wheat pitas, cut into wedges and toasted
Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add chard; cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Immediately plunge into ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain.
Using a mortar and pestle, grind garlic and salt into a paste. Stir chard, yogurt, garlic paste, oil, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Serve with pita wedges. Tzatziki can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Sauteed Collard Greens with Raisins (Everyday Food, October 2007)
Serves 4
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pounds (about 2 bunches) collard greens, stalks removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup raisins
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add collard greens and raisins; cook, tossing occasionally, until collards are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar. Serve sprinkled with toasted almonds.
************* Every week we will send several recipes that make use of the produce you are receiving in your bag. We also have a significant collection of recipes on our website at http://sbm.osb.org/ministries/common_ground_garden/recipes/. Please send us your own recipes, too--either favorites from your cook books or your own concoctions. |
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Contact information
commonground@csbsju.edu
Ryan Kutter, Garden Director, cell: 320-219-3389
Kate Ritger, Production Manager, cell: 262-339-7737
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 Common Ground Garden is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, where members purchase a share of vegetables and each week during the farm season receive a bountiful box of fresh produce. We pride ourselves on producing fresh, clean, healthful food picked at the peak of flavor and nutrition. As much as we are able, we grow our vegetables without the use of any chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. We use cover crops, rotations, compost and ingenuity to produce your food in a way that's healthy for you and for the community. When necessary for pest control or to combat disease, we use only products approved for organic gardening. |
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Common Ground Garden is the ministry of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict.
104 Chapel Lane
St. Joseph, Minnesota 56374
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