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September 27, 2012
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Volume 18, Issue 16
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Not So Pretty ...
Apologies, but this week, Sister Pat is away and we're not able to supply the usual illustrations to delight your eye.
Flower Bulbs for Sale
Sister Elizabeth Theis will be selling Asiatic lily bulbs and Canterbury bell plants at distribution again this week. Add color and a touch of the monastery to your flower beds.
Veggie Bingo Tie-Dying!
Bring your little people (whether they gobbled up the season's veggies or struggled with it) to distribution at Saint Ben's this week. St. Cloud folks, let me (Kate) know if you'd like to pick up at Saint Ben's so that your kids can participate.We'll be tie-tying throughout distribution time. Bring a white item (shirt or pair of socks).
Another Date Added: Chickens from Barnyard to Table
Saturday, October 20 & 27
Join Tim Kuebelbeck in the butchering process of the chickens who have been laying eggs for us all season, and go home with a free bird. We'll start at 9 a.m. RSVP so we know we have a critical mass for the events.
Squash Bugs: Warmer Winter, More Bugs
Last spring word was spreading among farmers that because we had a warmer winter there would be more bugs this season. Ok, more bugs. We heard the information but didn't know exactly how that would impact our crops or the care of our crops.
Back in July, as the winter squash vines really started spreading out and putting on blossoms, we noticed that some plants looks droopy. The weather was hot and dry but they were getting the same irrigation attention as the rest of the garden, but some plants, specifically the buttercup crop, looked to be suffering. There wasn't leaf damage, but we saw that the vines themselves, particularly at the bases of the plants, were decaying. One day when we were weeding the squash, one of the droopy vines broke off and we saw white larvae inside (kind of gross). We now knew the culprit--the squash vine borer larvae. They eat away at the inside of the plant and, unless action is taken, an entire crop can be wiped out.
At that stage, we sprayed BT (a natural bacteria that we use on potato bugs) on the bases of the vines. We were all amazed to see how quickly the vines rebounded. Thankfully winter squash vines put out roots along the vines, in addition to the roots at the base of the plant. So even though the base was damaged, the plant was able to get strength through the broader root system.
And why is this a bigger problem this summer than in past seasons? I've been reading and comparing notes with other farmers, and the theory is connected to warmer weather. Vine borers are the larvae of the moth that spends the winter in the soil as pupae. The pupae emerge in the spring and lay eggs at the base of the stem of baby squash plants. The eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the stem where they feed for 14 to 30 days before exiting and burrowing into the soil to pupate. Warmer winters mean more moths survive to lay eggs. If we have an earlier and warmer spring, the larvae also impact the squash plants sooner when the plants are smaller and not as strong.
That being said, the buttercup crop is less abundant than last year. We have just enough for almost every subscriber to receive one buttercup. The other squash were less impacted by the borer, but you may have already noticed chew marks on the acorn squash. Rabbits? Snacky gardeners? No, squash bugs. You will see more chew marks on the buttercup and kabocha as well, but these are just a surface wounds and haven't seemed to impact the squash flesh. But the butternut squash seem to be unscathed and numerous!
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Carrots, potatoes, onions, rutabaga, buttercup squash, Swiss chard/kale/collards, salad mix, and a variety of hot peppers and assorted herbs.
Bread of the Week
Sourdough
Notes on the Produce:
I'm thankful some crops just keep going ... onions, butternut squash, carrots and greens. The onions sized up well and are abundant. Can you ever plant too many butternut squash? I don't think so. They store so well and are delicious in so many ways. We haven't even gotten to the purple and yellow carrots, but I've been so pleased with the size and unbeatable taste of the orange carrots. And the weather has been great for fall lettuces and a later planting of kale and collards. I hope you are all eating well.
Vegetable Forecast
More potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, daikon radish, gourds, beets, greens, and squash (butternut, kabocha and pumpkins).
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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 p.m. 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 it 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 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 p.m. 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.
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 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, 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. |
Squash dessert contest: Thursday, October 18, 5 p.m., at the barn
Let's celebrate the end of the garden season with a dessert contest! We've got the winter squash -- you've got the recipes and competitive energy. Guest judges will be chosen from the community. Entries will be evaluated based on flavor, presentation, and creativity. We'll have a kid's bracket if there are entries by your little people. I'm salivating already!
Chickens: From barnyard to table, Saturday, October 20 & 27, 9 a.m.
Join Tim Kuebelbeck 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!
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 Harvest Festival
The St. Joe Market is open every Friday, 3-6 p.m., (note earlier closing time) 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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Remember this has been rescheduled for September 27!
Bring your Veggie Bingo winners for garden tie-dying with all natural, veggie dye! We will do the dying on Thursday, September 27, 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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From the archives... don't forget all of the great recipes archived on our website.
Rutabaga Puree with Leeks
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
1 small potato, peeled
2 pounds rutabagas and/or turnips
2 medium leeks (or onions)
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons or more cream, buttermilk or milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
Chop the potatoes. Chop the rutabagas half the size as the potato. Put the vegetables, leeks and garlic in a pot with cold water just to cover, add ½ teaspoon salt, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Mash the vegetables with a fork for a rough-textured puree or pass them through a food mill. Add 2 tablespoons or more cream or reserved broth to thin the puree. Stir in the butter and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Variations: Stir 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese into the puree. Or simmer the vegetables in milk instead of water. Add a tablespoon roasted garlic and a teaspoon finely chopped rosemary to the puree.
Grilled Winter Squash or Pumpkin
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Leave the skin on the squash and cut into slices a scant ½ inch thick, remove fibers and seeds, and steam until barely tender. Combine 2 minced garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon each chopped rosemary and thyme and 1/3 cup olive oil. Brush it over the squash and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until marked and tender and then serve with a dash of apple cider vinegar.
Note: I've also heard of friends who've added cumin, cinnamon, coriander or turmeric to their grilled squash. Get playful.
Spicy Cooked Carrot Salad with Paprika, Feta and Olives
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
1 pound carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/3 cup crumbled or thinly sliced feta cheese
12 oil-cured black olives, pitted and diced
Boil the carrots in salted water until tender but not soft, then drain and rinse with cold water. Slip off the skins and slice them into rounds or dice into small pieces. Smash the garlic with ¼ teaspoon salt, then add the paprika, vinegar, and whisk in the oil. Toss the carrots with the vinaigrette, parsley, and most of the cheese and olives. Taste for salt. Mount the carrots on a plate and garnish with the remaining cheese and olives.
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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 cookbooks 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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