|
|
|
September 3, 2015
|
Volume 21, Issue 12
|
Produce
Veggies this week:
Sweet corn, zucchini, tomatoes, kale/collards, Dragon/green/yellow beans, watermelon/cantaloupe (hopefully for all--we'll spread them as broadly as we can) and eggplant for Saint Ben's full shares and beets for St. Cloud full shares.
Extras:
The last of the cucumbers, Black Spanish radishes, sweet and lemon basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, and flowers.
Veggies on the way:
We'll have another week of sweet corn from Produce Acres and more carrots and tomatoes--soon the winter squash will be ready!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Brianna's Dad visits the garden! |
A Note from the Production Manager
Kate Ritger
Hello friends!
It's a big week of transitions on campus--school started at CSB/SJU on Monday! That means the student garden crew went from six full-time busy bees (that's 240 hours a week) to eight full time students who work part-time around their class schedules (that's approximately 60 hours a week). I try not to dwell on the dramatic reduction of working hours, but instead see it as an opportunity to be extremely focused harvesters--no time for weeding anymore!
Many of the friendly student faces you are used to seeing needed to return to other jobs, but Kendra and Annie are here through the end of the season, and the new students seem pretty friendly too. Over the next few weeks they'll introduce themselves. For now I'll say, we have some nice Central Minnesota ladies, a solid new Johnnie from southeastern Wisconsin (not far from where I grew up!), a Bennie from the North Shore and a Bennie from Massachusetts. We have farm kids, city kids, basketball players, actors and musicians--all eager to get their hands dirty at the Common Ground.
As you see from the harvest list, the cucumbers are going out of fashion and the zucchini won't be far behind--the plants are getting tired out. The tomatoes and melons are loving this warmer weather (ask and you shall receive! 80s during the day and 60s at night!) and the beans had another flush to harvest. Eggplant ripens slowly and rarely all at once--we'll spread the harvest out each week so eventually everyone gets some. For some reason the beets have been very slow to mature this season. I'm not sure why but I'm hopeful to have some respectable harvests before we're all done.
And the sweet corn ... a few years ago I decided to let Russ Willenbring do what he does best--grow sweet corn, among other great crops. Corn takes up a lot of space and is an inefficient crop--each stalk produces one reliable ear and takes a lot of nutrients out of the ground. Russ grows large quantities of corn for a variety of markets and has worked it in to his crop rotations to maintain soil health. So we purchase from him and use the garden space for other crops that we grow really well.
We still have some of Katie Ballantine's Goodland and Mystery apples ($15/bag) and cider ($6 for half gallon/$12 for full gallon) available for sale. St. Cloud folks, let me know if we should send some along for you.
Eat well friends!
Kate
|
| | Fall greens are coming in |
Iron
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
Feeling tired? Fatigue is a common symptom for many things but you could be feeling tired if you have iron deficiency. The reason we feel tired when we don't have enough iron is that iron is an oxygen transporter. When our red blood cells cannot deliver oxygen to every cell the way our cells need it for energy production, we reach a point of exhaustion sooner. Iron deficiency is one of the most prevalent nutrient deficiencies worldwide. It's important that people don't self-diagnose and try to treat fatigue; other forms of anemia caused by B12 or folate deficiencies could be made worse with iron supplementation.
There are two forms of iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is the iron found in red meats; it is more bioavailable than non-heme iron. However, studies have also demonstrated that heme iron is also more subject to oxidation and creating free radicals in the body. Non-heme iron is found in spinach, Swiss chard, and other deep green vegetables. We need to eat larger quantities of non-heme iron to reach recommended intakes but it is a more stable form of iron. Eating foods rich in vitamin C when eating foods with non-heme iron can help enhance absorption.
Monday Evening Volunteer Time
Five cheerful Bennies came out on Monday to help with the harvest projects. Come join them and stretch your muscles in the garden. Monday evenings from 5 - 7 p.m. All are welcome (any age or physical ability).
|
| | Some of the huge corn next to the garden has come down |
|
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. |
Barn Dance!
The St. Cloud Diocese is celebrating their partnerships with Homa Bay, Kenya, and Maracay, Venezuela, with their second annual Barn Dance, Saturday, September 5, 4 - 8:30 p.m. at Holy Spirit Church, St. Cloud. There will be live music, cultural cuisine, fun for the kids, a bonfire, silent auction and door prizes. Free will offerings are accepted.
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!
|
|
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.
Down-Home Collard Greens
From The CSA Cookbook, Voyageur Press, 2015
For Sale at the Garden!
2 pounds collard greens
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½ pounds smoked ham hocks or smoked ham shanks
8 cups water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Kosher salt to taste
To prepare the collard greens, trim the thick, rigid stems from the leaves. Slice the stems ½ inch thick on the diagonal and set aside. Stack a few leaves on top of each other and roll them lengthwise into a tight cigar. Slice the leaves crosswise about 1 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining leaves until you have a mountain of collard ribbons. Don't be intimidated by how huge it looks; the collards will cook down to at least half their volume.
In a wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the oil, onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ham hocks, water, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, stir to combine, and increase the heat to high. Add a couple of large handfuls of the collard leaves and stems and push them down into the liquid with a long spoon. As they start to soften, add a couple more handfuls. By the time the pot reaches a continuous boil, all the collards should be submerged in liquid.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the leaves are wilted, the stems are tender, and the cooking liquid tastes smoky and earthy, about 1 hour. The longer you simmer the pot, the silkier the collards will be. Don't add any salt to this recipe until you taste it, since the salt level greatly depends on how salty the ham hocks are and how long you cook them.
Remove the ham hocks from the pot and pull the meat off the bones. Finely chop the meat, then stir it back into the pot and heat through. Serve with a drizzle of any tangy red hot sauce of your choice.
Southwest Harvest Pizza
From Phytopia Cookbook, a gift from Judi Grooters
As if you need a recipe for fresh sweet corn--steam it, grill it--love it! But here's a recipe if you want to get creative.
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
Lime marinade (see recipe below)
½ red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch cubes - or yellow or green
½ poblano pepper, cut into ½ inch cubes - or another hot variety
1 cup julienned red onion
2 cups zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 (12 ounces) prepared pizza crust or your favorite recipe
¾ cup barbecue sauce
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup corn, fresh roasted (see directions below for roasting)
½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
4 green onions, sliced
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Lime marinade
1 tsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. oregano
2 dried chipotle chiles, seeds removed, finely ground or 1 tsp chili powder
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
½ tsp salt or to taste
Roasting corn:
Roast corn in husks at 450° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Starting at the top, pull husks and silks down until ear is exposed; pull off husks and discard. Stand ear on end on a cutting board. Using a sharp or serrated knife, cut off kernels close to the cob from top to bottom. The corn can be refrigerated or frozen in zip-top bags.
Preheat oven to 450°. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Coat wok or large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently. When nearly done (chicken will still fee soft, not firm) remove to a large bowl.
Add the peppers, onion and squash to the wok, stirring to quickly cook. If the mixture sticks or fails to cook quickly, add some reserved marinade and cover for 1 to 2 minutes. When vegetables are nearly done, add them to the chicken.
Place pizza crust on a large, sturdy baking sheet. Mix barbecue sauce and cilantro in a small bowl; spread on pizza crust. Evenly cover the sauce with the chicken and vegetables, then corn and black beans, if using. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until crust is heated through and cheese is melted.
Indian Ratatouille
From Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
This is tasty, colorful and easy. It also freezes well and is great for fall and winter meals.
2 cups diced onions
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 fresh chile, minced (seeded for a milder hot)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. salt
Generous pinch of crumbled saffron (include if you have it, but not absolutely necessary)
1 cup orange juice
5 cups cubed eggplant (1 inch cubes)
4 cups cubed zucchini in whatever color you have
1 ½ cups diced bell peppers
3 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh basil (I've also added oregano)
In a stew pot, saute the onions in the oil on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and saffron and saute for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the orange juice and eggplant, toss to coat with the spices, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the eggplant is barely tender.
Add the squash, bell peppers, tomatoes, and basil. Cover and continue to simmer about 15 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender. Add a little more orange juice or water if necessary to prevent sticking.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
|
|
|
|
 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. |
|
|
Common Ground Garden is the ministry of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict.
104 Chapel Lane
St. Joseph, Minnesota 56374
|
|
|
|
|
