Common Ground Garden

 


September 11, 2014


Volume 20, Issue 12
Common Ground Garden Rows
 


Kate Ritger 2013


A Note from the Production Manager

Kate Ritger    

 

Hello friends,

 

There are many transitions converging this time of year ... the start of school, the geese and cranes are on the move, cooler temperatures and noticeably fewer hours of daylight. Did you see the big Harvest Moon on Monday night? It was beautiful. While the forecast prompted gardeners' hearts to skip a beat: "Temperatures in the 30s at night!?", it seems like we are still safe from frost for a bit.

 

What does frost mean for the garden? Frost means sensitive plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, Swiss chard, basil, etc. die overnight. The plants are blackened and the "fruit" are damaged, most often past the point of good eating. We watch the nighttime low's and try to get as much of these crops harvested before the frost comes. So we push forward; there are lots of peppers still ripening and we hope that the weather provides more warm days of harvesting.

 

A note about the babies and pregnant women: from what I've heard the families are doing well and learning new rhythms together--meals are still welcome! Thanks.

 

Two final notes: Meat will be delivered next Thursday, September 18, and if you still owe a balance for your subscription, please leave a check or make plans to spread it out over the rest of the season.  

 

Here are a few more photos from the Girl Scouts!

 

Ellen, Cold Spring, age 9
 
Ellen, Cold Spring, age 9


Fall Gardeners

 

 

Hi there! My name is Kaelyn Dabney and I'm a first year at the College of Saint Benedict. I'm from Longmont, Colo. and I hope to major in Biology, Business and/or Chinese. I have a wide variety of interests which makes it hard to focus on a major. I love to read, play piano and run in my free time. I'm so excited to see the Minnesota snow and to see all the vegetables that our garden will produce! I can't wait to meet all you amazing folks and get to know you more!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Hello! My name is Hannah Kangas. I am originally from Brainerd, Minn. but I call the St. Joseph area my home now. I am a sophomore at Saint Ben's and I am majoring in philosophy. Known as the "Earth Child" of my circle of friends, it is not uncommon to see me walking around barefoot with dirt on my face and leaves in my hair. Which is why a job in the garden is perfect for me! I am an advocate of a healthy and natural lifestyle, so this is a wonderful way for me to contribute. The garden is a peaceful place where I can think deep philosophical thoughts, advocate for my beliefs and meet lots of interesting and inspiring people!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello! My name is Erin Stout, a Junior Environmental Studies Major at Saint Ben's. I enjoy cooking, canoeing, hiking, running, cycling, traveling and just getting outside. I grew up in St. Cloud and am the youngest of three girls. I'm working towards a career in either landscape architecture or sustainable organic gardening. I've worked at the garden the summer and fall of 2013, so some of you may recognize me. I have learned so much while working at the garden from produce, nutrition, nature to community. I believe healthy eating is vital to a happy life. I love working at the garden because I am part of a community that is open to sharing their experiences with gardening, cooking and life in general! So, come talk to me! I would love to meet you and hear about your interests!

 

 

 

 

It's A Fruit ... It's A Vegetable 

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: [email protected]   

 

It's a tomato! Botanically, a tomato is a fruit. It develops from a blossom and it has seeds. But the U.S. government declared it a vegetable over a century ago under the Tariff Act of 1883. Under this context, the government could make money off this abundant supply of food. Tomatoes are also used primarily as a vegetable from a culinary perspective.

Regardless of what it is, tomatoes are a fantastic source of nutrients. Colors of fruits and vegetables aren't present merely by chance or only to make the food look appealing. The color of any fruit or vegetable is determined by its nutrients. The color red primarily comes from lycopene and anthocyanins - powerful antioxidants. As we've heard before, antioxidants can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and stroke and, in the case of lycopene, can also help protect against macular degeneration.

 

Events     

Monday Community Evenings

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.

 

 

This Week in Your Bag

Produce    

  

Veggies this week:

Daikon radish (Like other radishes, daikon greens are edible too. Saut� them and the bristles will go away.), watermelon/cantaloupe (I'm hoping that enough will be ripe to distribute one or the other to everyone, otherwise, we'll likely start with full shares and then go to half shares next week.), tomatoes, zucchini, onions, pac choi (for full shares), eggplant (for half of the Saint Ben's half shares), potatoes, assorted sweet peppers, Swiss chard/collards and rutabaga

 

Extras: flowers, parsley, dill, cilantro, basil (entire plants--time to make pesto!) and hot peppers 

  

         

Veggies on the Way:

Stay tuned for more delicious beets, specialty peppers carrots and parsnips!  


Bread

Multigrain   

          
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.

 

All of this week's recipes come from our Web site. Check out the treasures and eat well!

 

 Maple Glazed Rutabaga

4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
� cup maple syrup
1 � tsp butter, melted
7 cups (�-inch) cubed peeled rutabaga (about 2 medium)
� tsp salt
� tsp black pepper
Cooking spray

 

Preheat oven to 425�. Combine syrup and butter in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add
rutabaga, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Spread rutabaga mixture on a jelly roll pan coated with
cooking spray. Bake at 425� for 35 minutes or until rutabaga is tender, stirring occasionally.

 

Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Daikon 

 

From www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/top-10-ways-to-enjoy-daikon-radish 

 

10 - A New Kind of Coleslaw
9 - Roast 'em!
8 - Expand Your Garden
7 - Slow cooked
6 - Add More Vitamin C!
5 - As a Substitute
4 - Baked, Boiled or Steamed
3 - Eat 'em Raw
2 - Radish ... Cake?
1 - Homemade Asian Take-Out

 

Cheese and Bell Pepper Enchiladas
From www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1698 

 

Serrano or jalape�o chiles are both tasty in this recipe. If you prefer a bit less heat, remove their
ribs and seeds before chopping.

3 tbsp canola oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 jalape�o or Serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 tps ground cumin
Salt to taste
3 large bell peppers (red, green or yellow), cored, seeded and chopped
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 cups chopped tomatoes, undrained
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer about 3/4 cup of the onions to a
blender; set aside to use later. Add remaining onions, garlic, one of the jalape�os, 1 teaspoon of
the cumin and salt and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer about 1/2 cup of the bell peppers to blender with reserved onions, then add remaining
to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from the
heat and stir in cream cheese, 1-1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and cottage cheese. Add salt
and set filling aside. Meanwhile, add tomatoes, remaining jalape�o and remaining 1 teaspoon
cumin to blender with reserved onions and bell peppers and process until smooth. Transfer to a
medium pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and boil gently,
uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and set enchilada sauce aside.

Preheat oven to 350�F. Spray a 9 x 13- baking pan with cooking spray then spread about �
cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of the pan; set aside. Heat a large skillet over
medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, warm it in the skillet, flipping once, until soft
and pliable, about 30 seconds. Transfer tortilla to a flat surface and arrange about 1/3 cup of the
filling down the center. Roll up tortilla snugly and place in baking pan. Repeat process with
remaining tortillas and filling. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with
remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until bubbly and hot throughout, about 25 minutes.

 

 .

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