Common Ground Garden

 


July 17, 2014


Volume 20, Issue 4
Common Ground Garden Rows
 


 

 

A Note from the Production Manager   

Kate Ritger 

Kate Ritger 2013

Hello Friends!

 

This Saturday we were part of the Sustainable Farming Association's Festival of Farms. While the weather was a little dreary, the crowd was cheerful and engaged. The food by Nick's Third Floor chef Daniel Dean was great, and it was fun to visit our friend's farms. The unexpected highlight for me though was visiting with other CSA farmers from around the state. We all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as we shared our struggles this season and realized we were not alone in our challenges.

 

It's the middle of July and we don't have cucumbers yet. The Swiss chard is barely six inches tall, the kohlrabi are about � of an inch in diameter and the zucchinis are only slowly ripening. On the up side, the pac choi is the biggest we've ever grown. While I increased our subscriptions this year and I'm learning all of the ramifications of that move, including planting enough and being able to harvest enough each week, I cannot control the weather. My fellow farmers shared similar woes ... the crops are inching along because it's the middle of July and the temperature is 61�F. So we weed and we water and we harvest as much as we can.

 

The harvest is a bit lean this week ... please hang in there with us and hopefully we will be inundated with produce and warmer weather soon.

 

One more note ... if you missed last week's picnic, don't be dismayed--bring it this week, or any week for that matter. The picnic tables and benches are staying put, so come out and enjoy a picnic or just a moment of quiet at the garden.

 

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.

 

 

 

Maria Galvez  

My name is Maria Galvez (pictured above) and I am from Dallas, Texas. I am a psychology major and a Spanish minor. I will be a sophomore at the College of Saint Benedict. I have many reasons why I am interested in working for Common Ground. One of those reasons is finding a stronger connection to nature. Expanding my knowledge on crops as well as gaining new skills that involves gardening are other motivations. The fact that there are many tasks to do is another reason why I was interested since there are many jobs where one task is what you have to do all day. The local involvement is also another reason due to the fact that I am not only working for my campus, rather I am interacting with the community. Further said, the Common Ground seems to fit the ideal summer job for the strong nature connection and being actively involved.

 

 

Gladys Galvez 
Gladys is Maria's younger sister (pictured above), visiting from Texas. She'll be here for three weeks and we're happy to have her help in the garden. Hopefully, two Texans in the garden will inspire some hot weather!

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

We hosted our first girl scout program, "Gardeners," on Monday evening. What fun! The girls had a great time and their moms were really intrigued to learn about the Monastery's work in sustainable agriculture. We have four more programs left--spread the word to Girl Scouts you know.


We are also looking for volunteers to help co-lead these evenings. The "lesson plan" is provided. Talk to Kate to get more information.

 

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 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 Week in Your Bag

Produce    

Snap peas (hopefully for everyone, definitely for half shares), radishes, Nero Tondo (black Spanish) radish, romanesco (hopefully enough for all of the half shares this week), pac choi, kale and collards, zucchini, green beans (just for full).


     
Veggies on the Way:
More green beans, cucumbers, kohlrabi and Swiss chard! 

Bread

Sourdough

          
Notes for Subscribers

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.
  • 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.

  • 5 - 6 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church in St. Cloud. For a link on Google maps, click here.
  • 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.

 

Community News

St. Joseph's Farmers' Market 

The St. Joseph Farmer's Market is open every Friday, 3 - 6:30 p.m. Visit www.stjosephfarmersmarket.com for more information.  



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 [email protected] and we'll add you to our e-newsletter list!

 

 

Recipes

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 

 

Black Spanish Radishes: These spicy radishes are tasty raw (if you are brave), sliced thin and baked, grated on top of a salad or into soup. 
 

Pac choi: Chop off the bottom � inch and enjoy the rest of the stalks and greens, raw or cooked. 

 

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.

 

Stuffed Zucchini (Middle Eastern style) 

 Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
by Yotam Ottolenghi

 

Note: I had the amazing blessing of visiting Israel and Palestine this April. One of my best friends works for Catholic Relief Services in Gaza. Inspired by the people, land, history, spirituality and food, I was gifted with two of Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks: Plenty and Jerusalem. I look forward to sharing recipes of this amazing land with you. As tensions between Israel and Gaza rose last week, my friend was evacuated to Jerusalem. Please think of the people there as you enjoy this dish.

 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup short-grain rice

2 tbsp currants

1 tbsp pine nuts

2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish

1/2 tsp dried mint

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 medium zucchini

3/4 cup boiling water

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Salt and pepper

 

Saut the onion in the oil until soft. Add the rice, currants, pine nuts, parsley, mint, spices and half the lemon juice. Continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

Halve the zucchini lengthways along the center and use a spoon to scoop out some of the flesh to make "boats." Place them in a shallow saucepan that is large enough to accommodate them side by side. Fill them with the rice stuffing. Pour the boiling water, remaining lemon juice, sugar and some salt around the zucchini. The liquid should not come as high as the filling.

 

Simmer, covered for 30-40 minutes, basting the filling occasionally with the cooking juices. The zucchini are ready when the rice is al dente and almost all the juices have evaporated. Allow to cool down completely before refrigerating. Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.

 
Korean Radish Salad   
from Mariquita Farm recipes. For more, see www.mariquita.com
3 medium black Spanish radishes

2 tsp salt
2 tsp red pepper (or less to taste)
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp minced
 scallion
1 tsp minced garlic

 

Peel radish and cut into match stick pieces about two inches long. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse to remove excess salt and drain well. Wrap radish in several thicknesses of cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

 

In bowl, combine radish with red pepper, sugar, vinegar, scallion and garlic, mixing well. Serve at once or refrigerate to blend flavors. Serves eight as side dish.

 

Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe

Note: don't overcook the bacon. It should be barely brown around the edges and still somewhat raw-looking in the middle.

 

4 strips thick-sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Several dashes hot sauce
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
2 lbs. collard greens, stems removed, sliced into 3-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
1 cup chicken broth (or water)*


Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the collard greens and the chicken broth (or water) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with some of the pan juices from the pan.

 .

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