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July 10, 2014
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Volume 20, Issue 3
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A Note from the Production Manager Kate Ritger 
Hello Friends!
This seems to be our transition week ... this is the end of salad greens until the fall, and the beginning of summer items like kale and collards. While the harvest list is long, not everyone will receive every item, but instead a combination of greens and bulkier veggies. Enjoy!
Join us this Thursday for our annual Garden Blessing and Picnic! The family-friendly blessing will take place at 4:30 p.m. and there will also be garden activities for kids throughout distribution time. Bring a picnic (dishes and silverware, too) to enjoy at the garden with friends--we'll set up tables and have water available.
This Thursday is also a meat pick-up and Cheri Sauerer will have extra meat for sale--so plan to do your meat shopping at the barn. Meat subscribers: be in touch with Cheri at (320)-250-3786 if you are interested in swapping or adding beef or lamb liver, or chicken, beef or lamb soup bones to your meat package. She always has these available.
A different route to the garden
The College of Saint Benedict is redoing their North Entrance. So between now and the end of August please use either the South Entrance (off College Avenue) or the Monastery's entrance (Chapel Lane) off Minnesota Street to come to the garden.
We hope you enjoyed strawberries from Produce Acres last week. Russ and I are discussing the possibility of doing something comparable when the raspberries are ripe in a few weeks. Let me know if you have opinions on the matter.
Meet the Gardeners!
The Common Ground Garden has a partnership with the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University for five full-time student gardeners. They are a big force behind the planting, weeding, harvesting and distributing of the garden.
Annie DeSutter
Hiya, My name is Annie DeSutter (picture above, left) and I am from Northfield, Minnesota. I will begin my junior year at CSB/SJU this coming fall, studying Peace Studies and Hispanic Studies. I am excited to work at the Common Ground Garden because I love vegetables, the outdoors and being connected to my food system!
Tanner Rayman
Hi, My name is Tanner (pictured above, right)! I am a junior nursing major that is extremely interested in improving the community's quality of life and overall health through the provision of fresh local produce. I was initially interested in working at the Common Ground Garden because gardening and landscaping were an integral part of my childhood experience. This natural appreciation for the outdoors has blossomed in recent years into a love for the abundance of life, an enjoyment of the intricate patterns of growth and change found in natural ecosystems and man-made gardens and the ability for nature to return us all to a simpler, more holistic community. The Common Ground Garden is a place where I can learn every day while still feeling like I am helping to improve the nearby community. When not in the garden, you will probably find me admiring the peeling of birch bark, practicing my J-strokes in the canoe or stuck up in some tree I climbed too high in. I am honored to be a part of the Common Ground Garden crew this year. See you in the garden!
K is for Kale!
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
Kale has recently been popping up in grocery stores, local gardens and everyone's morning smoothies. We can now find kale in soups and kale chips on the market. It's the newest food to rave about in terms of health benefits. And rightfully so - kale is loaded with fiber and several cancer fighting properties. It supports healthy digestion and helps fight inflammation.
One thing that kale is well known for is its vitamin K content. A one cup serving contains over 1000% of the daily vitamin K recommendation! That is KRAZY! But good for most of us. Vitamin K plays a critical role in intestinal health as it is a fuel source for gut microbiota and in blood clotting. Just a word of caution: people taking blood thinning medications such as Coumadin should talk with a dietitian about how to carefully include kale in their diet.
Events
Monday Community Evenings
The weeds are upon us! Come out Monday from 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.
Girls in the Garden
Calling all Girl Scout troops! The garden will be hosting five opportunities for girls to work on their badges. Call to register your troop for fun at the garden: 262-339-773. $5 per participant, free for chaperones. A minimum of seven participants are needed for a program. Time: 6 - 7:30 p.m.
- 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.
This Saturday, July 12: Festival of Farms
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/. |
Produce
Snap peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, Romanesco, spicy salad mix, arugula, pac choi, kale and collards.
Note on snap peas: All of the peas we grow at the garden are meant to be eaten in their entirety--pod and all! Raw, sautéed, stir-fried--yum!
Veggies on the Way:
Green beans, cucumbers and zucchini!
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Contact information
Ryan Kutter, Garden Director: 320-219-3389
Kate Ritger, Production Manager: 262-339-7737
Distribution takes place every Thursday afternoon, unless otherwise noted.
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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 Avenue SW. Make a right at the stop sign and follow the gravel road out to the barn.
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5-6 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church in St. Cloud. For a link on Google maps, click here.
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If you are unable to pick up during the scheduled time, be in touch with Kate and we'll make other arrangements. Friday or the following Monday at the garden is another option--the barn is open both days from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. A friend or family member can also pick up for you.
Bring Your Own Bag Don't forget to bring your own bag to pick up your veggies. Canvas bags are great. We are also happy to receive your extra brown paper bags, plastic grocery bags, gallon ice cream pails and canvas bags. Compost Your Food Scraps 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. |
St. Joseph's Farmers' Market
 
Find us on We've been posting photos and more about the garden. Would you like to learn more about other happenings at Saint Benedict's Monastery? Sign up for our e-newsletter, Monastery Musings, and find out more about the Sisters, special events and offerings that go on here year-round. Just send Sister Karen Rose your e-mail address at krose@csbsju.edu and we'll add you to our e-newsletter list! |
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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. Please send us your own recipes, too--either favorites from your cookbooks or your own concoctions.
Notes
When storing salad greens, try to keep as much air in your bags as possible.This will keep your greens fresher longer and prevent wilting.
Radishes: The tops are edible too! Sautéeing them will take away the bristles.
Pac choi: Chop off the bottom ½ inch and enjoy the rest of the stalks and greens, raw or cooked.
Spicy salad mix and arugula: Wonderful salad greens that have a bite!
Romanesco: Sometimes called broccoflower, this interesting brassica (same family as broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.) has a striking appearance and mild, nutty flavor. It can be eaten raw or cooked, similar to broccoli or cauliflower.
Kale and collards: While there are lovely raw kale salads, these greens are more often enjoyed cooked. Use them interchangeably in recipes.
Baked Kale Chips
1 bunch kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp seasoned salt
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Line a non-insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper. With
a knife or kitchen shears, carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite-size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake until the edges brown but are not burned, 10 to 15 minutes.
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Snappy Pea Pods
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
3/4 pound fresh or frozen sugar snap peas
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper In a large skillet, sauté mushrooms and onion in oil until crisp-tender. Add the remaining
ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 2-4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender.
Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 4 servings. Roasted Romanesco 1 head Romanesco
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
fresh black pepper to taste
pinch garlic powder
pinch paprika Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spread Romanesco onto the baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Roast in the preheated oven until tender, 15-20 minutes. Note: Try other spices too: cumin is nice on roasted Romanesco and broccoli or try roasting on the grill. Add the roasted veggies to pasta, topped with sliced Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese, add it to an omelet or serve as a side dish.
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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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