Let's eat fresh and local vegetables! The gardeners and I are thrilled to bring you the first harvest of the season and as we work around the garden each day we are delighted to see the growth and development of so many future meals.

 

To those of you who are new to the garden - welcome! We hope you will love the produce and meet some new friends and neighbors throughout the season. And "Hello again!" to our old friends. We look forward to seeing how the kids have grown and hearing updates from your winter.

 

The most frequently asked question recently has been "are you getting flooded by all of this rain?" The weather has definitely challenged our patience and our work rhythm, but it always does. Gardening reminds us on a daily basis that we are not in control. And our sandy soil has been an advantage so far this season as the rains continue to fall. None of our crops are under water, and the weeds haven't completely overrun us yet.

 

Each week I'll try to share some news from the garden that will give you a sense of how the weather we live in each day impacts the food we grow. The newsletter will also feature nutritional information (by our garden dietician Kari Sholing), recipes, invitations to community events, wisdom from the Benedictine tradition and reflections on tending a garden.

 

To those of you who don't know me, I'm Kate Ritger and I'm happy to be back for my fourth season as the garden's Production Manager. Central Minnesota has been my home on and off again since the late '90s, but I'm a southeastern Wisconsin native and I happily make a run for the border to see family and stock up on cheese curds and other Wisconsin treats.

 

That's all I'll say for now ... Stay tuned, over the next few weeks you'll meet our excellent student garden crew!

  

 

 

 

I look forward to getting to know you and the gifts you bring to this community. Peace.

  

 

By Kari Sholing, RDN, who is a subscriber and our "Garden Registered Dietician." She will be contributing regular articles to the newsletter and is happy to answer specific questions. Contact her at: karijean999@gmail.com.

 

Summer has officially arrived and we can finally be out in the sun! While spending time in the sun has its benefits, it's also important to protect yourself from the drawbacks of excessive sun exposure. One way to protect ourselves is with sunscreen, but another way is to EAT our sunscreen!

 

Of course I'm not talking about the stuff that comes in a bottle - yuck. Vitamin C and Vitamin E are two of the most powerful antioxidants that fight against the oxidative damage caused by UV rays from the sun. The produce we get this week, such as spinach and rhubarb, is loaded with vitamin C.

 

 

 

Vitamin E foods won't be found in our garden, but they are easy to find and have on hand. Eating them together makes a tasty summer snack and provides better antioxidant protection!

 

The following foods are additional sources of Vitamin C and E:

 

Vitamin C	Vitamin E
All citrus fruits, especially oranges	Many oils, especially sunflower
Bell peppers	Nut butters, especially peanut
Acerola cherries	Nuts and seeds
Chives, thyme and other spices	Cayenne, paprika and other spices
Guavas	Fish roe
Kale
Leeks

 

Plan your July 10 pick-up around the garden 'blessing and picnic: family friend blessing at 4:30 p.m. There will be crafts for the kids. Bring a picnic as well. We'll set up tables and have water available.

Next Monday, June 30, will start our Monday community evening hours: 5 - 7 p.m. All are welcome to volunteer (plenty of weeds for everyone!) or just spend an evening in the beauty of the garden: read a book, sketch, journal, paint, photograph or rest.

• Monday, July 14, Junior Badge "Gardener"
• Monday, July 21, Brownie Badge "Bugs"
• Monday, July 28, Junior Badge "Flowers"
• Monday, August 4, Brownie Badge "Painting"
• Monday, August 11, Junior Badge "Digital Photography" Girls need to bring their own digital camera.

Join us for the Sustainable Farming Association's Central Minnesota Festival of Farms on Saturday, July 12, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The day begins with exhibitors, door prizes and lunch by Chef Daniel Dean of Nick's Third Floor (our veggies will be featured!) at Baker's Acres in Avon. The tour continues to Emmerich's Produce, Dancing Bears and ends at the Common Ground Garden. More details, including ticket prices (specials for families and advance purchase) and registration at www.sfa-mn.org/central/.

Contact information

Sesame Salad Dressing      

¼ cup grape seed or other light-flavored oil

1 tbsp rice wine

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp crushed sesame seeds (whole seeds or Tahini)

 

Whisk all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

 

Radishes are delicious eaten raw or chopped to top a salad, but if the sharpness is a deterrent, sautéeing or baking radishes diminishes the bite and brings out a gentle sweetness.

 

2 bunches radishes

1 ½ tbsp butter

1 ½ tbsp chopped green garlic

1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh chives

Salt and pepper

 

Clean radishes well under running water to remove all traces of dirt. Cut off the upper leaves and coarsely chop them. Cut off the remaining greens and stalks and discard them. Trim and quarter the bulbs. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Add quartered radishes and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Stir in greens, green garlic, and chives and cook until wilted, another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is a great side dish with fish.

 

Rhubarb Bar

Shared by friend of the garden, Susan Sink

 

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

 

Filling:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

3 cup finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb (Use a food processor with slicer for speedy chopping.)

 

Combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into bottom of a greased 11 x 7 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. For filling, combine first four ingredients. Stir in rhubarb; pour over warm crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Serve warm if desired (but it's great cold with ice cream, too!) Store in the refrigerator.

 

Contact information

commonground@csbsju.edu

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

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

 

 

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.