Greetings!

End-of-Season Note  

Ryan Kutter

For those of us who grow vegetable food for a living (or out of habit) the coming winter is a time to rest from the physical work involved in food, as well as from the detailed attention and response that plants demand of us. Looking away from these practical necessities for months on end also allows us to return to the vision that motivates us to commit ourselves to local, responsible food.

On one hand there is the sensual quality of good food ... vibrant taste, fragrance, color, and the art of cooking with what's in season. We're also mindful that the choices we make have real impacts on the environment, including our own drinking water and breathing air. Aside from our own pleasure of eating there are so many nuances to eating in the modern age that it can at times seem like a burden to discern what's healing, harmful or harmless. Deciding how to eat can be a burden of work in its own right.

As we rest from the harvest I hope you, the noble eaters, are able to take time to reinvest your minds and hearts into the joy and challenge of good food, even though you don't get a break from the responsibility of eating. Good winter to you all.

It's Over  

S. Phyllis Plantenberg

What a great season summer has been! A bit buggy, a bit hot, a bit too rainy, a bit too little rain, too few tomatoes, (if you like tomatoes),too many greens (if you don't like greens) and then bone-chilling weather for harvest. But all in all it was a great season, just what God ordered whether I liked it or not. Kate has given us all a chance to comment, complain or otherwise make suggestions for next year. Hope we have all done that; even a late response might be helpful. Remember it is our garden and every body's input is of valuable.

There is just one more thing to do before calling it over. Count your blessings: new friendships with the new college women and men at work; wonderful new friends and little children, including the pumpkin patch second graders; four new apple trees made possible by a wonderful donation; a successful farmer's market; so many vegetables to eat, freeze or can. And then we want to mention trying out new and creative activities at the old-young barn.

Yes it's over, but Spring and new hope are just around the corner and we'll start all over! I have a younger sibling, Betty, who would just sit back and say, "Thank you Jesus!" I think that's what I'll do. What about you?

Until Next Time  

Kate Ritger

Is it October already? It's finally October? Living and working this closely with the cycles and rhythms of the earth is a stabilizing experience for me, but it also rubs my sense of time in new ways. Some things take a long time: micro-weeding, ripening winter squash, and washing potatoes in cold water. And other things come and go quickly: snap peas, weed growth, and growing green beans. As I look back at photos from the season, it's amazing that it all happened right here, in central Minnesota, on our three acres of the planet.    

As S. Phyllis said, I'm counting our blessings: so many people have been fed, friendships and partnerships have germinated and deepened, babies have been born (five subscriber families this year!), and dreams are being explored for the future.

And as Ryan suggested, I'm ready for some deep rest. My body will get antsy at first, not doing as much physical labor each day, but then it will relax but hopefully not get too slothful. My mind will shift from constant attention to the plants, and being focused on preparing for Thursday distributions, scheduling, and sales, to more leisurely things like reading, cooking, baking, and knitting.   

And in the depths of the cold and dark season we'll order seeds, have conversations with our partners about the next season, and anticipate living the entire cycle again. Stay healthy and eat well. Rest and work hard. I'll see you around town and around campus, and you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Do you remember these days of weeding and growth? 

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.  Please RSVP by Thursday, October 18, if you are planning to be part of this event. (RSVP to Kate by phone 262-339-7737 or email commonground@csbsju.edu)

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.  

Crap Apple/Macintosh Sauce

Last week's crab apples were gifted to us by our friends Bert and Dorie Bliss. We still have some left so take them home and try Dana Millaway's recommendation:

"I snagged about 3 lbs of crab apples from you last week. We combined them with some Macintoshes from the Collegeville Orchards and made something amazing. There have been some boisterous discussions on whether we made apple butter or spiced applesauce but everyone agrees that it is very tasty. Thanks!"

from www.epicurious.com 

3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves or other green (kale or collards will work)

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.    

Note: My (Kate) family has been enjoying this as our "pumpkin pie" option at Thanksgiving for the last several years. I particularly like the ginger snap crust.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan.

Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup plain batter; place in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoon-fulls of reserved plain batter. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 12 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

from www.vegkitchen.com 

An Eastern European standard, tzimmes is a roasted vegetable dish that is made a number of ways, depending on the occasion. For Rosh Hashana, the appropriate ingredients include carrots and sweet potatoes, with the added sweetness of fresh and dried fruits.

Note: This is another one of my (Kate) holiday favorites. It's not as gooey and indulgent as candied yams, but the sweetness is reminiscent.

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 cup chopped onions
3 large carrots, sliced
3 large sweet potatoes, cooked or microwaved in their skins,
then peeled and sliced
1 large apple or pear, cored and sliced
1/2 cup chopped prunes
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each: ground ginger and salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or other preferred nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onions over medium heat until they are translucent. Add the carrots and continue to sauté until onions and carrots are golden.

In a mixing bowl, combine the onion-carrot mixture with all the remaining ingredients except walnuts. Mix thoroughly; don't worry if the potato slices break apart.

Transfer the mixture to a large, oiled, shallow baking dish (a round or oval shape is attractive). Sprinkle the optional walnuts over the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top begins to turn slightly crusty.

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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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Common Ground Garden is the ministry of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict

104 Chapel Lane
St. Joseph, Minnesota 56374