Common Ground Garden

 

June 25, 2015

Volume 21, Issue 2

Produce    

  

Veggies this week:

Broccoli, Tokyo bekana lettuce/Wildfire lettuce mix, radishes, spinach (half shares), Carlton greens (full shares), arugula/mizuna/spicy salad mix, Hakurei salad turnips (just full shares) and rhubarb 

  

                 
Veggies on the Way:
Soon there will be kohlrabi and the zucchini are flowering! 
 
Bread

Bread of the Week: Multigrain

 

Fruit!

Russ Willenbring from Produce Acres in Cold Spring will be at the garden on Thursday selling fresh, organic strawberries, $5/quart.
 

Meat

This Thursday is the first meat delivery. Cheri will be available at the garden with additional meat for sale. 

  

  

 



A Note from the Production Manager

Kate Ritger    

 

Hello friends! 


We have a great variety of veggies this week, some of which are new to our garden. We hope that you will love them. I want to highlight a few ... first, Hakurei salad turnips, these aren't your everyday turnips. Salad turnips are small, tender, sweet, and almost fruity. The smooth roots and hairless greens can be eaten raw or cooked lightly. We look forward to a second planting for the fall.

 

Second, the full shares will receive Carlton greens this week. As you may already notice, we grow quite a few Asian greens (Tokyo bekana, mizuna, pac choi, Chinese cabbage, etc.) and this is another. Carlton is one of several komatsuna greens, traditionally used in Japan in stir fries and soups. It is also excellent braised or used in salads. I'm excited about it because it tolerates heat and cold -- what a wonderful, versatile green!

 

Third, you are receiving a variety of radishes in your bunch. The round, red ones are either Rover or Crunchy Royale. The white are Ping Pong, and the slender cylinders are Shunkyo. All have been chosen because they don't easily split in wet weather or bolt in the heat, and the color variety is nice. Don't forget to eat the greens -- how many different greens can you put in your salads or stir fries?

 

Speaking of no-waste cooking, we have a cookbook for sale this season! The CSA Cookbook by Linda Ly will be available for purchase throughout the season. $20 per copy, tax has been included in that price, checks should be made to Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict. Think Christmas gifts, birthdays, late Mother/Father's Day gifts and a great reference for your own kitchen counter. We'll include recipes in the newsletter and periodically have samples of dishes at pick-up. Proceeds help support our ministry of making fresh produce available to the central Minnesota community.

 

Please join us for our Garden Blessing and potluck event this Thursday. The blessing will take place at 5 p.m. The gardeners have planned camping-themed kids' activities, there will be garden tours and we'll even have a bonfire pit. Bring tasty things to roast!


See you soon,
Kate

  

Meet Kendra Butkowski!

Hello again everyone! I'm very excited to be back at the garden for a second year! I am a junior Nutrition major/Hispanic Studies minor at CSB, from St. Joseph. I love hiking, swimming, traveling, cooking, reading in my hammock and just being outside in general! I am interested in learning even more this year about local food and sustainable food systems, as well as how to use herbs. I look forward to seeing you all once again at the garden!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Annie DeSutter!

Hiya! I'm from Northfield, Minnesota, and a senior at Saint Ben's studying Hispanic Studies and philosophy. This is my second year at the garden and I'm looking forward to getting to know the plants, the soil, the bugs, the sky and all of you much better this coming season. This past semester I had the opportunity to study abroad in Guatemala. These four months are the reason I find myself back at Common Ground this summer. As I learned about and witnessed the systems of agriculture in Guatemala I found myself more and more interested in organic manners of farming, sustainable food systems, the importance of community and creating ways to make healthy food available to all income levels. When I'm not picking asparagus or saving sunflowers I enjoy reading, playing cribbage, climbing trees, drawing, writing poetry and canoeing. See you all soon. Enjoy your shares!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calcium   

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]   

 

What's the first thing that comes to mind when we think of calcium? Probably milk. We've heard for many years now that dairy foods are our best source for obtaining the minerals essential to bone health. While dairy does have a good amount of calcium, so do many vegetables. This is especially important to understand when we look at the growing number of people that are eating vegan or vegetarian diets or have become lactose intolerant. The vegetables that come from Common Ground that provide us with good sources of calcium include: spinach, beet greens, kale, and pac choi.

 

Calcium is important for more than just bone health. Our body maintains a strict pH balance and calcium helps regulate acidity/alkalinity in our blood. Calcium also plays a significant role in nerve and muscle function. In fact, calcium is needed for every beat of our hearts to fire the nerve that contracts the muscle.

A diet well balanced with a small amount of dairy (if able) and lots of leafy green vegetables every day can help you meet the minimum calcium requirements reducing your risk of osteoporosis, hypertension, and more.

 

Events     

Annual Garden Blessing and Potluck Event ... Camping Theme! June 25

Join us as we kick off the season with our annual garden blessing and potluck. The blessing will take place at 5 p.m. and be followed by the potluck and "camping" activities for kids. St. Cloud members, let Kate know if you would like to pick-up at the garden that evening to be part of the event.

 

Monday Evening Volunteer Time

Join us on Monday evenings for garden work, 5-7 p.m. All are welcome (any age or physical ability).

 

Girls in the Garden
Calling all Girl Scout troops! We had such a fun time last year that we are expanding to seven sessions for girls to work on their badges. Call Kendra to register your troop for fun at the garden: (320)-250-5668. $5 per participant, free for chaperones. A minimum of seven participants is needed for a program. 6-7:30 p.m.
Monday, July 6, Junior Badge: "Gardener"
Monday, July 13, Brownie Badge: "Bugs"
Monday, July 20, Junior Badge: "Animal Habitats"
Monday, July 27, Brownie Badge: "Snacks"
Monday, August 3, Junior Badge: "Flowers"
Monday, August 10, Brownie Badge: "Painting"

Monday, August 18, Junior Badge: "Digital Photography." Girls need to bring their own digital camera

 

 

Notes for Subscribers

Contact information
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. Enter at the college entrance from Minnesota Street near 3rd Ave NW. 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, come to the garden on Friday or Monday -- the barn is open both days from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Follow the instructions in the barn for self-service. A friend or family member can also pick up for you. Call Kate if you need to make other arrangements.

     

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.

 

Too Many Food Scraps!

We are no longer accepting compost at the garden. Please encourage your home city or municipality to expand their composting to food scraps, or start your own home bin.

 

 

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.


Note on 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! Saut�ing them will take away the bristles.

 

 

Sriracha-Roasted Broccoli/With Not-Spicy Alternative 

From The CSA Cookbook 

 

If you prefer flavors on the "mild" side, swap the sriracha out and use various spices or herbs: cumin is very nice on roast broccoli, or take out the soy and sesame and try thyme, parsley, sage or rosemary for a more Italian flavor.

 

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp sriracha
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 pound broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
� lemon, cut into wedges

 

Preheat the oven to 425F.In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, Sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. Add the broccoli and toss to thoroughly coat.

 

Spread the broccoli across the large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes. Stir and shake up the broccoli a bit, and roast for 10 minutes more until the stems are tender and the tips of the florets are slightly blackened. Serve with a couple of squeezes of lemon on top, and if you really want to go to spice town, serve some more Sriracha on the side for dipping.

 

Honey Sesame Sauce 

From The CSA Cookbook

 

Stay tuned... this sauce appears in the cookbook with "pan-fried cucumbers!"

 

1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

 

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Try this sauce on salad, on stir fry, as a marinate, or a dipping sauce.

 

Glazed Hakurei Turnips and Radishes 
From   www.epicurious.com 

 

3 bunches Hakurei turnips, greens trimmed and reserved, and radishes
� lb. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp sugar
Kosher salt

 

Place turnips and radishes in a large skillet; add water to cover turnips halfway. Add butter, sugar and a large pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy and turnips/radishes are tender, about 15 minutes. (If turnips and radishes are tender before liquid has reduced, use a slotted spoon to transfer turnips/radishes to plate and reduce liquid until syrupy. Return turnips and radishes to pan and stir to coat well.) You can do this part of the recipe hours or days ahead.

 

Add turnip/radish greens to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and enjoy!

  

 

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Contact information

[email protected] 

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 is the ministry of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict.

104 Chapel Lane
St. Joseph, Minnesota 56374