Common Ground Garden

 


July 3, 2013


Volume 19, Issue 3
starting the garden


Greetings!

 

 

A Note from the Production Manager   

Kate Ritger 

 

Kate Ritger

 
Hello, friends,

 

Over the last three years I've tried to accept the weather as it comes. But gardening is a gamble, the weather is a constant unknown, and I still get anxious about what the weather will do and how it will impact our crops. Breathe deeply. So, I had hoped that snap peas and kohlrabi would be ready by now, and that we could harvest another crop of arugula and  spicy mix. But the snap peas and kohlrabi have not g rown as fast as I hoped, and the salad greens are bolting quickly and are not palatable. We've planted more salad greens for a later crop, and I think that we'll have an abundance of peas and kohlrabi after the holiday. Hang tight for another week of salad and radishes. Treasure the broccoli while we have it, and get  excited for zucchini, carrots and all your summer favorites. 

 

Thanks for taking the same risks we take, and breathing through unpredictable weather.

                     

Pea plants with flowers --no pods!                Small, but promising kohlrabi 

 

Meet the Gardeners

 

We are so fortunate to have a partnership with the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University to hire student garden assistants. Gardeners apply for the position and go through an intensive interview process. (Well, I don't put them through a garden workout first to test their endurance, but that could be fun!) Students come from all majors and backgrounds, and therefore are curious about the garden in different ways. We've got a great bunch this season! They are genuinely interested in sustainable food systems and healthy living, are interested in learning about the gardening process, work well together as a team, have fun and have really grabbed on to our mission of providing high quality produce to folks in central Minnesota.

 

  

Meet Erin Stout! 
 
My name is Erin Stout. I am a sophomore at the College of Saint Benedict majoring in Environmental Studies and Communications. I plan on going into Landscape Architect; specifically designing large landscapes in an environmentally friendly way. I am from St. Cloud, and never thought I would be this close to home for college. However, St. Ben's drew me in with its community feel and outdoor happenings! I enjoy rock climbing, cycling, and am just getting into yoga. I also enjoy canoeing and camping in the great woods of Minnesota and Canada! My favorite vegetable is butternut squash, but I am very excited to try new veggies! Gardening is somewhat new to me, so I am looking forward to learning about each plant and finding different ways to prepare vegetables. I chose to work at the garden this summer because I love being outside, and I would like to learn more about living a healthier life. Getting to know the St. Joe community better is important to me and the Common Ground Garden is a perfect place for that!

  

     

Meet Ricky Richards! 

 My name is Ricky Joseph Richards and I am going into my senior year at Saint John's University. I am originally from  Los Angeles, California, and I attended Verbum Dei High School which is a Jesuit Order, all male Catholic School. Due to the distance that I have travelled away from home and the great differences between Los Angeles and rural Minnesota, people often ask me why I chose to come here. Well, what they say about connections seems to be spot on! My English teacher in High School was Anne McCarney who is a CSB alum. And "Why the Garden?" you may ask. Well,  my mom has always emphasized the importance of eating your fruits and vegetables. She juiced carrots, spinach, kale and other things for my sister and me when we were young to ensure that we received proper nutrients. Over the years, sustainability has also developed into an interest of mine. My mom always taught me not to litter so my focus on sustainability coupled with my growing awareness of how destructive factory farming is on the environment led to my interest in a position at the garden. With that being said, my interest in the garden can be summarized as follows. I want to eat healthier, learn to grow my own food, get a great workout, help others live healthier lives, and do my part to save our planet!

   

    

 

 

A Great Garden Blessing 

 

We enjoyed a beautiful evening of prayer, snacks, and visiting together. And the kids enjoyed tromping through the garden, and harvesting, washing and eating their own radishes! Way to go, little foragers! Stay tuned for plans of our 20th anniversary party and other educational events -- canning/pickling class has been requested.


garden blessing 2013  

 

 

 

This Week in Your Bag
   
Produce    

Lettuce, spinach/kale/Swiss chard/collard greens, radishes, broccoli, garlic scapes

 

About Scapes

   

 

Garlic scapes: Garlic is planted in the fall and left in the ground to sleep through the winter. In the spring, when it comes up it sends out a curly top that will eventually flower -- this is the scape. The scape is snapped off so that the energy of the plant will be directed to make big, juicy cloves of garlic. We don't grow our own garlic at Common Ground, so we buy from our friends at Plum Creek. Enjoy the scapes and look forward to cloves of garlic in late summer!

 

Check out Plum Creek Garlic's website for great ideas on using the scapes. In general, they can be used just like garlic cloves -- chop up the entire curly top and flower bud. And they can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks.

 

Bread of the Week

Cracked Wheat  

  

Veggies on the Way 

Kohlrabi, snap peas, carrots, beets, and zucchini are on their way!  
  

  

Notes for Subscribers

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 
  • Don't forget: The Fourth of July holiday falls on Thursday; we will distribute on Wednesday, July 3, same times at both locations. We'll hold your veggies through the weekend -- so Monday, July 8, is an option for pick up as well. Be in touch.

 

Missed Thursday Pickup?

  • If you are unable to pick up during the scheduled time, be in touch with me and we'll make other arrangements -- a friend or family member can pick up for you, or we can find another time.

Reminder

  • Thank you! for bringing your own bags to distribution. Keep them coming!
  • We recycle brown paper bags, plastic grocery bags, gallon ice cream pails, canvas bags you are not using 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.


Contact information
Ryan Kutter, Garden Director: 320-219-3389
Kate Ritger, Production Manager: 262-339-7737

[email protected] 

 

 

Community News
Check out Common Ground "Lost and Found" 

 

Give. Take. Share. As many of you know, we work hard to distribute healthy, sustainably produced food to people in central Minnesota. In addition to our sales, we have partnerships with local food shelves. This season, Mondays (8 a.m.-7 p.m.) will be "Lost and Found" day at the garden. Anyone with surplus produce is invited to drop it off at the garden. Also, anyone is welcome to stop by and pick up surplus produce. Folks are then invited to share the produce with friends or family, help out in the garden (note the evening hours), leave a donation to support our ministry, or pay the generosity forward and do something kind for someone in the community. Spread the word! Come, see us on Mondays!

 

 

Central MN Catholic Worker Summer Series 

Monday, July 15:
Immigration: The vote may or may not have been taken by this time for the sweeping overhaul of Immigration Reform. Join us as we hear from those who have immigrated and those who work on the issue and how it is affecting Central Minnesota. This gathering will be at Gateway Church in St. Joseph, 106 2nd Ave NW, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a simple meal (If you'd like to bring food, please let us know!) and discussion will begin at 7 p.m.

 

 

St. Joseph's Farmers' Market 

The St. Joe Market is hosting Dairy Day this Friday, June 21. Many vendors, music, children's activities, and more. Located near the St. Joseph water tower. Visit the SJFM website www.stjosephfarmersmarket.com for more information .  


Follow us on Facebook! We've been posting photos of our planting and progress.

 

Recipes
Check our website for more ideas, and please share your recipes with us!

 

By popular demand, here are recipes from last week's Garden Blessing.

 

Rhubarb Cookies

We are more familiar with rhubarb cakes and pies, but we wanted a finger-friendly dessert for our event. Enjoy!

1 cup shortening

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar 

2 eggs 
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
3/4 cup flaked coconut

 

FROSTING: 

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

In a large bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in rhubarb and coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350� for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over cookies. Yield: 4 dozen.

Note: We cut the sugar in half and did not make the frosting -- still great!

 

Rhubarb Dressing
This would be delicious as a salad dressing -- we also enjoyed it as a dip for broccoli and radishes.
from

Taste of Home magazine


2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons grated onion

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Combine chopped rhubarb, sugar and vinegar in saucepan and simmer for 6-10 minutes. 

Cool and place mixture in food processor with grated onion. 
Blend until homogenous. 
Combine vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a jar or an air tight container. Shake to mix.
Add the mixture from the food processor to oil/Worcestershire/salt mixture and shake vigorously in air tight container.

Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. 

Editor's Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

 

Pickled Radish Flowers 
   
8-10 radishes
3 Tbsp vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

 

Slice radishes thinly.
Put vinegar and sugar in a plastic bag. Close the top tightly, shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Add sliced radish.
Squeeze out as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 5-10 hours.

Take a slice and roll it up tightly. Take another slice and roll it around the first one. Keep covering it up with a slice at a time, overlapping partly, arrange them to a rose shape. Place it in a small bowl. Make as many roses as you want or until the bowl gets full.

 

Spinach Dip
An alternative to the rich sour cream/mayonnaise/cream cheese/artichoke version.

You'll find that my (Kate's) recipes are not always very precise -- I'll do my best to give you approximate quantities.

 

As much spinach as you have (I used two big --full-share-sized-- bags because we were preparing for a crowd. This is about 2 lbs of spinach - I suppose frozen would work, too.)

1 cup of plain yogurt
1 Tbsp of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp dried dill -- 1 tsp if fresh

salt and pepper to taste

 

Put it all in a food processor and let it rip! Add more yogurt if you want it runnier. Taste and add more of the lemon juice, garlic, salt or pepper as you see fit.

 

 

 

************* 

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.

 

 

 .

Contact information

[email protected]

Ryan Kutter, Garden Director, cell: 320-219-3389

Kate Ritger, Production Manager, cell: 262-339-7737

 

 

CGG logoCommon 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.
Common Ground Garden Rows

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

104 Chapel Lane
St. Joseph, Minnesota 56374