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August 23, 2012 Volume 18, Issue 11
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Greetings!
Goodbye to Virginia Zenzen!
 Friday, August 24, is Virginia's last day in the garden, and she will be greatly missed. It's been a huge blessing to spend two summers with Virginia in the garden and my only sadness is that she graduates in May and can't come back for a third year. Farm girls, they are hard workers who know how to take care of business. Watch for Virginia during the school year at campus events -- she'll be looking official and gracious with the catering team. Thanks, Virginia, for another great summer and have a wonderful senior year.
From Hanna: Bye farm girl. I will miss you. You truly are a garden legend after three summers of working here. Good luck to you in your future ventures!
From Emily: We will miss your expertise and knowledge in the garden. Have an awesome senior year and don't forget to eat your veggies!
From Sam: It was great to spend time here at the garden with you. The conversations about our lives and the interesting stories will be missed. Hope you have a great year!
And to Sam Allen!
Thursday, August 23, is Sam's last day in the garden. She's been our solid Tuesday/Thursday gardener offering support and a breath of energy to break up the week.  I've appreciated getting to know you and your flexibility in the part-time work. I wish you could have been part of the regular crew so you could join in our daily antics and adventures. Thanks, Sam, for a great summer and have a wonderful school year. From Hanna: Thanks for all your hard work in the garden this summer. You were always there to lend a hand! I hope to see you around campus this fall. All the best.
From Virginia: It was really great getting to know you this summer! You are a very motivated person and that is going to get you where you want to be in life. Have a great year!
From Emily: Thanks for your lively stories and good heartedness this summer! We will miss you! Now lest you think I, Kate, will be digging potatoes and hauling winter squash all by myself, never fear, more gardeners are coming soon. Whitney Canton will be here through the fall and four new student gardeners will join us next week with the commencement of school.
A Lovely Night under the Stars About a dozen folks gathered last Thursday night to watch The Lorax, the old and the new versions. Virginia's little sister, Audrey, who was in the garden with us Thursday and Friday, and I (Kate) stocked the "snack bar" with fresh popcorn with kale powder seasoning. And Virginia and Hanna got the projector up and displaying the movie on the side of the shed. The movies were very entertaining and we all agreed, even though we were wrapped in multiple blankets, that we should watch more movies out by the garden.
The Scallion - A Fun Bunch of Gardeners "What was that weird email we got from Common Ground this week?" "Did S. Pat's computer get taken over by a virus?" No, we intended to send out two newsletters this week, The Scallion, our own playful garden version of The Onion, and our typical newsletter. Working at Common Ground is a lot of hard work, and as you can imagine, based on the high temperatures throughout July, the conditions aren't always the most pleasant. But the team of gardeners has been a great joy to me this year. When we interview and hire for the jobs we look for hard-working, environmentally attuned, and motivated students. A little bit of goofiness is also welcomed, but we can never anticipate the chemistry of the group. This year's team has embraced the work, the weather, and a healthy amount of curiosity, playfulness and creativity along the way. And they love S. Phyllis! So we hope you enjoyed our antics and you can find more documentation of our adventures on Facebook. |
1. Cucumbers 2. zucchini 3. green/purple beans 4. carrots 5. scallions 6. potatoes (the beginning of many potatoes!) 7. tomatoes 8. watermelon/cantaloupe 9. peppers, a variety of hot peppers 10. assorted herbs.
1.  2. 3.  4. 
5.  6.  7.
8.   9.   10. 
Notes on the veggies: We're taking a break from the greens this week to let the plants get replenished and help your palate long for them again. More kale, Swiss chard and collard greens will return soon. And we planted some lettuces last week in hopes of salad greens for the fall: arugula, sorrel, lettuce, and mizuna have already popped through the soil. Hot peppers: It seems like every morning a gardener arrives at work with another story of how not to handle hot peppers. Poor Whitney chopped up jalapenos and then tried to take out her contacts. Emily made a delicious pizza with hot peppers and several bites in felt her entire face burning! So handle the peppers with care. Start with a little and add more to your dishes, and use gloves or plastic bags on your hands to prevent burning! Watermelons: We've got watermelons with yellow and red flesh. Both are sweet and delicious. Enjoy! Discrepancies with the emailed list: When I write the newsletter on Monday we assess how the crops are doing and how we anticipate them ripening for Thursday's harvest. Sometimes crops ripen faster than I anticipate -- last week's corn for example. And sometimes they take a bit longer -- like the watermelons. I do my best to give you an accurate reading on what to expect, but it doesn't always turn out right. Please be flexible and keep enjoying the produce, and we'll do our best to bring it to you at the peak of ripeness. Garlic: The garlic you received two weeks ago was from Plum Creek Garlic just south of St. Cloud. Chris and Joanne Kudrna are our friends there and we are happy to support their business and in turn the local food economy. Thanks for the high quality garlic!
Vegetable Forecast
We're hoping for one more harvest of sweet corn. Each stalk of corn produces one, maybe two ears of corn. Last week we picked the bigger of the two ears and hope that the second ears will size up and ripen for a second wave of enjoyment.
Bread of the Week Hazelnut Currant
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Distribution takes place every Thursday afternoon, unless otherwise notifed.
- 4-6 p.m. 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.
Missed Thursday Pick-Up?
Never fear, your produce is still here. If you know you are going to miss a Thursday pick-up, invite a friend to come get it. If you forget to pick up, come out to the garden on Friday anytime between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; or be in touch and pick up your share at the St. Joe Farmer's Market 3-6:30 p.m. on Fridays. You can even pick up your veggies Monday morning; we go to the St. Joe Food Shelf and the Monastery at 12:30 on Monday afternoon with produce that has been left behind.
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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 Coborn'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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Two Great (and free) Events with our Egg Farmer, Tim Kuebelbeck!
Grape harvest, jelly demonstrations and lunch
Join Tim on Saturday, September 1, for a morning of harvesting grapes, jelly-making demonstrations and lunch.
9 a.m. - lunch
One mile north of Millstream Park on County Road 3 (fire #0327)
Chickens: From barnyard to table
Join Tim on Saturday, October 20, to be part of the chicken butchering process and go home with a free bird ready for stuffing and roasting.
We'll start at 9 a.m. These are the birds who have been laying eggs for us all season.
Thanks, Tim, for the great offerings.
From the Catholic Worker
Join us for weekly dinner and prayer: 6:30 dinner, 7 p.m. prayer. All are welcome. Learn more about the community at www.centralmncw.org.
St. Joseph's Farmers' Market
The St. Joe Market is open every Friday 3-6:30 p.m. near the St. Joe water tower. Visit the SJFM website www.stjosephfarmersmarket.com for more information about vendors, what's new, and special events throughout the year.
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Veggie Bingo Celebration 
Bring your Veggie Bingo winners for garden tie-dying with all natural, veggie dye! We will do the dying on Thursday, September 20, 4:30 p.m. Bring a shirt or pair of socks to dye. Pick up your items the following week. All are welcome!
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Potato Curry
6 medium potatoes
3 tbs Ghee
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
� tsp mustard seeds (or ground mustard
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
� tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 cups water
1 cup yogurt
2/3 cup cooked sweet peas
Peel the potatoes and ice them as evenly as you can. Heat the ghee or oil and when it is warm, add the spices. Let them simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, then add all the potatoes and immediately stir them around and turn them over until they seem evenly coated with ghee and spices. Continue this process for about 5 to 10 minutes more, so that some of the potato cubes are a little crisp.
Add 2 cups of water, lower the heat and simmer slowly for about � hour, giving an occasional, gentle stir. The potatoes should be tender by this time. Now add the yogurt and the green peas, and heat it all together for another 5 minutes or so and serve.
Tomato-Ricotta Tart (Everyday Food, July/August 2003)
Yield: 4
2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing over tart
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced beefsteak tomatoes
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-inch spring-form pan, toss breadcrumbs with olive oil; press evenly into bottom.
In a bowl, whisk ricotta with Parmesan, eggs, and basil; season generously with salt and pepper. Spread over crust; arrange tomatoes on top. Brush with olive oil.
Bake until tomatoes are almost dry, 35 to 45 minutes; let cool. Un-mold. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
(Everyday Food, July/August 2011)
Olive oil, for brushing baking sheet
2 medium zucchini
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and diced small
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
5 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into 1-inch pieces
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Halve zucchini lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Place, cut side up, on sheet and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, oregano, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Top zucchini with tomato mixture. Bake until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.
Heat broiler, with rack in top position. Top zucchini with mozzarella. Broil until cheese is brown and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes; serve immediately.
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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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 The Common Ground Garden is a community garden that includes a CSA, volunteer opportunities, newsletter, educational events (pickling, cheese-making, eating locally on a budge, etc.), individual garden plots, and sales at the St. Joseph Farmers' Market and Minnesota Street Market. We are committed to supporting the St. Joseph Food Shelf and the St. Cloud Catholic Charities Food Pantry. We pride ourselves on producing fresh, clean, healthful food picked at the peak of flavor and nutrition. We use cover crops, rotations, compost and ingenuity to produce your food in a way that's healthier for you and healthier for the community. While we are not certified organic, we do not use chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers.
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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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