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August 28, 2014
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Volume 20, Issue 10
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A Note from the Garden Director Kate Ritger My sister's wedding was wonderful, and the time with my family was really precious. That's my 18-month old niece, Penny, in the photo below, right! Thanks to Ryan and the gardeners--especially Maria and Kendra for their leadership--it seems like everything went really smoothly.  | |
Kate and Penny at the wedding!
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Now that I'm back, the summer crew of gardeners has returned to school, which means a significant shift in our season: I go from five full-time student workers to five part-time student workers. The start of school also means classes will come for tours and we'll have more student volunteers--so many people are connected to the garden. Labor Day pick-up: If you miss Thursday's pick-up, you can stop by on Friday (8-7), Monday (8-7) or Tuesday (8-4:30). Note, the barn will be open on Labor Day and we'll hold veggies through Tuesday as well. Notes on the veggies ...Tomatoes: It's a big week for tomatoes. (We picked hundreds of pounds on Monday alone!) You can freeze them, can them, make salsa! Also, every week I have scratch-n-dent tomatoes--if you would like some to process, let me know, especially if you can pick them up earlier in the week.
Green beans: This is most likely the last week.
Cucumbers: Also, most likely the last week.
Zucchini: They are dwindling too, but we'll likely have them a bit longer.
Scallions: We have lots of scallions, and onions and leeks on the way--if at any point you feel like you have too many to keep up with, chop them and stick them in the freezer. I chop and lay them out on a cookie sheet, and once frozen transfer them to a Ziploc bag--they store very well and make for easy meal prep.
Peppers: I will NEVER (knowingly) put hot peppers in your bags. Hot peppers will be distributed like we do herbs--as extras.
Corn: I bought corn this year for two distributions from Russ Willenbring at Produce Acres. This will be our second and last week of corn.
And the Winner Is ...
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
Real food! Imagine that. I got quite a chuckle out of reading a scientific study that concluded that real food is the best food to eat, something that we've inherently known since the beginning of time. It's ultimately how our ancestors survived in order to perpetuate the human species. So why invest the time and money to study diets? We are in an age of information overload, and much advice and information regarding diets is contradictory from one source to the next. It's often very confusing. Here is an excerpt from the study summary:
Dr. Dave Katz and Yale colleague Stephanie Meller published their findings in the current issue of the Annual Reviews journal in a paper titled, "Can We Say What Diet Is Best for Health?" In it, they compare the major diets of the day: low carb, low fat, low glycemic, Mediterranean, mixed/balanced (DASH), Paleolithic, vegan, and elements of other diets. Despite the pervasiveness of these diets in culture and media, Katz and Meller write,
"There have been no rigorous, long-term studies comparing contenders for best diet laurels using methodology that precludes bias and confounding. For many reasons, such studies are unlikely."
They conclude that no diet is clearly best, but there are common elements across eating patterns that are proven to be beneficial to health. "A diet of minimally processed foods close to nature, predominantly plants, is decisively associated with health promotion and disease prevention."
Even though I thought this study stated the obvious, I'm grateful for the evidence in support of whole, natural food eating. We are so blessed to have Common Ground Garden and all of its wholesome, natural vegetables!
Monday Community Evenings
Monday evening work has shifted from weeding to picking green beans. If you've ever done this, you know it is slow and back-breaking work. The more hands the merrier, and you will definitely value your green beans more. If this doesn't sound appealing, there are still weeds to pull. Come out Monday from 5 - 7 p.m. All are welcome to volunteer (plenty of work for everyone!) or just spend an evening in the beauty of the garden: read a book, sketch, journal, paint, photograph or rest.
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Produce
Veggies this week:
Tomatoes, corn, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans (less than previous weeks, but most likely still for everyone), scallions, pac choi/kohlrabi (probably pac choi for full shares and kohlrabi for half shares), eggplant (for St. Cloud half shares this week) and peppers.
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Lots of peppers!
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Lovely gladiolas in the squash patch.
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Extras: Assorted flowers, parsley, dill, cilantro, basil (later in the season, right before it freezes, I will pull out entire basil plants for folks to stock the freezer with pesto) and hot peppers.
Veggies on the Way:
Carrots, garlic from Plum Creek Garlic, potatoes and more kale/collards/Swiss chard. There are watermelons and cantaloupe on the vines, but they are ripening very slowly--prayers for warmer temperatures would be appreciated!
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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.
Zucchini Salsa
Shared by Stevie Ritger, my mom
She made three gallons of this for the wedding weekend. Delicious! Day 1
6 cups of shredded zucchini (food processor makes this very simple)
2 or 3 chopped onions
2-3 peppers
¼ cup pickling salt Combine all of these ingredients and let them sit overnight. Day 2
5/8 tbsp pickling salt
1 ¼ tbsp dry mustard
5/8 tbsp garlic powder (or fresh)
5/8 tbsp cumin
1 ¼ cup white vinegar
5/8 cup brown sugar
1 ¼ tbsp red pepper flakes (or fresh hot peppers)
5/8 tsp nutmeg
5/8 tsp black pepper
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 ¼ tbsp cornstarch Rinse and strain the zucchini, onions and peppers. Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Can in a hot water bath for 15 minutes, freeze or devour it all fresh.
Shakshuka
From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Note: I appreciate good eggs. Every morning I eat two fried eggs with mayo/pesto toast and some sautéed veggies on the side. When I tasted this for the first time, I was in love! It's a North African dish with many variations. Some add preserved lemons, others feta and different herbs and spices. Crusty bread is the perfect accompaniment. Enjoy!
Serves four generously.
½ tsp cumin seeds (or ground)
¾ cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large onions , sliced, or scallions
2 red bell peppers, cut into 3/4 -inch strips
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 3/4 -inch strips (or use whatever you find in your share)
4 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
6 thyme sprigs, chopped (I didn't have it)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ tsp saffron threads (I didn't have them)
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper
Up to 1 1/8 cups water
8 eggs
In a very large pan dry-roast the cumin seeds on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the peppers, sugar and herbs and continue cooking on high heat for 5 to 10 minutes to get a nice color.
Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne and some salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. During the cooking keep adding water so that the mix has a pasta sauce consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be potent and flavorful. (You can prepare this mix well in advance.)
Remove the bay leaves, then divide the pepper mix among four deep frying pans, each large enough to take a generous individual portion. Place them on medium heat to warm up, then make two gaps in the pepper mix in each pan and carefully break an egg into each gap. Sprinkle with salt and cover the pans with lids. Cook on a very gently heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
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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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