Organic Gardening at the College of Idaho

UPCOMING EVENTS
The Cook Local Challenge!
If you’d like to find out if you and your friends are the Iron Chefs of C of I, stay tuned.
What: A cooking competition Iron Chef style between 5 teams of 3 students
When: September 28th from 7:30 until 10
Where: Simplot Dining Hall and Kitchen
Why: Watch your friends (or you yourself) run frantically around to design delicious LOCAL food for a panel of judges in an hour and a half.
Prize: A basket for your team to share. It’s worth about $200 and is full of things like gift certificates and C of I bookstore things.
Sign up by emailing to Stewards or just show up to watch the fun!

Field Day for Van Buren 1st Graders
When: October 15th from 11:45 until 3:15
Where: The Eco-House, Gaia
Why: To reach out to our community through education kids about where food comes from—and to give them a chance to play in a pumpkin patch
If you want to be a group leader, email the Stewards!

This week’s produce:
Herbs (mint, spearmint, chives, rosemary, sage, thyme, basil, and parsley)–$1 a bundle/small bag
Rhubarb—$.50 a stalk
Onions– Large- $2 and Small–$2 for 3
Leeks—$1
Bell peppers–$1 per pepper  $.50 for a small
Japanese or Globe Eggplant–$1
Large tomatoes–$1 per tomato
Medium–$1 for two tomatoes
Small–$2 half quart sized bag
Cucumbers—$1 a piece
Chard and Kale—$1 a bundle
Watermelon (limited quantities)—$2

Featured Recipe
Dijon-Rosemary Shish Kabobs
Ingredients
Dijon Rosemary Chicken
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, stemmed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Veggies for Kebobs
Bell peppers
Onions
Cherry tomatoes
Mushrooms
Squash

Directions: Whisk together all of the Dijon-rosemary chicken ingredients (except the chicken) in a bowl. Toss the chicken in the mixture until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces. Skewer kabobs and grill directly over heat source for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning 1/4 rotation every 2 to 3 minutes, or until the meat is cooked throughout.

To contact the Stewards either call (208)691-9755 or email
sustainabilitystewards@collegeofidaho.edu

Here is this week’s newsletter. And as you all are back on campus, take a look at our produce list before you head to the grocery store to stock up and get fresh organic veggies and fruit instead!

This week’s produce:
Herbs (mint, spearmint, chives, sage, thyme, basil, and parsley)–$2 a    bundle/small bag
Onions– Large- $2 and Small–$2 for 3
Leeks—$1
Bell peppers–$1 per pepper
Anaheim peppers–$.50 per pepper
Japanese or Globe Eggplant–$1
Large tomatoes–$1 per tomato
Medium–$1 for two tomatoes
Small–$2 half quart sized bag
Cucumbers—$1
Quarter chunk of watermelon—$1
Green Beans (half quart sized bag)—$1.50

If you would like any produce, call the number above or email one of the Stewards. If you would like the produce delivered anywhere on campus, let us know, and we will gladly do so! Otherwise, let us know a time and you can pick up your order by the garden or at 1902 Oak Street (on the corner of Oak and Ohio). Please give us at least one day’s notice so we can pick and deliver it fresh.

Featured Recipe
End of Summer Tomato Salad
Ingredients
1 large eggplant            1 T fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup onion                           2 T parsley, chopped
1 cup mushrooms                  salt/pepper
1 cup spinach                        1 lb ground beef (preferably
1 T fresh basil, chopped                free-range, grass-fed)
1/4 cup tomato paste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Remove pulp leaving 1/2 inch of the outer shell. Dice the pulp. Saute the onions, garlic and meat until almost done, add mushrooms, diced eggplant pulp, spinach, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and continue to sauté an additional 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and remove from stove. Brush the inside of the eggplant shell with olive oil. Spoon mixture into eggplant shell and drizzle olive oil on top. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Greenhouse Project
One of our projects this summer is to build a greenhouse out of recycled 2 liter soda bottles. We’re going to need around 4,000 to create the whole thing! So if you have any bottles you would like to donate, please contact one of the Stewards and we can either pick them up or you can drop them off at the soon-to-be greenhouse (in the backyard of 1902 Oak).

Landscaping
Our plan for the plot of land next to the Eco-house (1908 Oak) is to create raised beds and move the garden to this space and create a small orchard in the back yard of the house.

Fruit trees (1 each of apple, peach, cherry, plum and pear)
Materials for raised beds (railroad timbers, old brick or pavers, or pieces of broken concrete.
Creeping red fescue grass seed

If you would like to sponsor a tree, raised bed or another part of the project, just let us know. If you sponsor a piece, you will get a plaque or sign designating that you were the contributor.

Idaho’s Bounty

The local online food co-op has agreed to help us set up an ordering and delivering system here at the school so students don’t have to pay the membership fee. If you would like to receive information about the co-op and when the introduction event will be, email the stewards.

The contact info is as such:
Email: sustainabilitystewards@collegeofidaho.edu
Phone: (208)691-9755
Blog: wormsmoothies.wordpress.com
website: http://cofi-sustainability.nfshost.com/

This year (with the help of Bart from Next Generation Organics) we have decided to plant some new things for fall. As the weather gets cooler, the conditions are great for things like greens, radishes and carrots to germinate. So, Bart gave us some spinach, radish, carrot and arugula seeds. Friday we planted the seeds and hopefully in the next couple days some will start to sprout and will mature in the next 25-50 days (except for the carrots, which are the exception and are going to be a little bit of an experiment). So before the first frost this year, we will have lots of greens and radishes.

Now on to the carrots. We will be letting them grow and overwinter. This means that the will germinate and sprout and begin to grow and then they will continue to grow during the winter until early next spring when we can pick them. To do this we have to mulch them very heavily so as to protect them and make sure to harvest them either all winter or before they start to flower in the spring (at which time they become bitter and inedible).

So keep an eye out for our fall veggies!

Well, the melons are well under way to being ripe. We have a mystery variety that was donated to us by Saad Hafez. We also bought some seeds for cantaloupe and watermelon. The ones we got donated were off to a rough start, but have now taken over their little row and then some. The ones we planted from seed have also taken off and are starting to produce little fruits. The issue with melons is telling when they are ripe. They are relatively easy to grow; they need lots of water, but they grow like crazy, as we have discovered. Telling when watermelons are ripe is apparently very difficult even for people who do it all the time. One day they could immature, in the next couple they turn mushy from being over ripe. So, we check them everyday. What lots of sources have been saying is to knock on the melon and if it makes a hollow knocking sound, it isn’t ripe. If it makes a dull thud, then it is ready. Cantaloupe is different. They have to be fragrant and the skin under the crackly part should be golden or orange and not green. So, once they are ready, we’ll let you know how that goes.

This year’s Campus Sustainability Stewards have lots of fresh produce in the organic garden, ready for the picking!

This week’s produce:

Herbs (mint, sage, thyme, basil, and parsley)–$2 a bundle/small bag

Onions– $2 and Shallots–3 for $2

Bell peppers–$1 per pepper

Anaheim peppers–$.50 per pepper

Japanese or Globe Eggplant–$1

Large tomatoes–$1 per tomato

Medium–$1 for two tomatoes

Small–$2 half quart sized bag

Cucumbers—$1

If you would like any produce, call the number above or email one of the Stewards. If you would like the produce delivered anywhere on campus, let us know, and we will gladly do so! Otherwise, let us know a time and you can pick up your order by the garden or at 1902 Oak Street (on the corner of Oak and Ohio). Please give us at least one day’s notice so we can pick and deliver it fresh.

Featured Recipe

Chicken ‘n Veggie Wraps

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 fajita size whole wheat flour tortillas

12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and

sliced

1 medium bell pepper

1/4 cup sliced onion

2 cups mixed salad greens

Directions

Spread mayonnaise on tortillas. Layer chicken, pepper, red onion and salad greens down the center of each tortilla. Roll and fold the filled tortillas.

Greenhouse Project

One of our projects this summer is to build a greenhouse out of recycled 2 liter soda bottles. We’re going to need around 4,000 to create the whole thing! So if you have any bottles you would like to donate, please contact one of the Stewards and we can either pick them up or you can drop them off at the soon-to-be greenhouse (in the backyard of 1902 Oak).

Landscaping

A plan has been made for the plot net to the Eco House (used to be 1908). Coming up in the next couple weeks we will be hosting a couple of work days in order to get the landscaping done. We will be needing help tilling, digging holes and planting lots of things. We are currently working on pricing out everything that we have planned for the yard. If you know anyone or anywhere that would be willing to donate or give us a discounted price on the items below, please let us know.

• Fruit trees
• Berry-bearing shrubs
• Other native shrubs

Idaho’s Bounty

Idaho’s Bounty is an online co-op that is devoted to bringing local organic food to the community. The Stewards are going to front the membership fee for the campus and we are compiling a list of people who are interested. If you are interested in ordering food from them this year, email the Stewards.

If you would like to contact the stewards, here is the info:

Email: sustainabilitystewards@collegeofidaho.edu

Phone: (208)691-9755

THIS WEEK’S EVENT–Volunteer Day

This Thursday,  August 19th from 9-10 am we are hosting a Garden clean-up day! Come help us weed and clean-up the garden for an hour and receive some free produce for your efforts. So stop by at the Organic Garden Thursday morning behind KAIC and next to Simplot Dining Hall.

This year’s Campus Sustainability Stewards have lots of fresh produce in the organic garden, ready for the picking!

If you would like any produce, call the number above or email one of the Stewards. If you would like the produce delivered anywhere on campus, let us know, and we will gladly do so! Otherwise, let us know a time and you can pick up your order by the garden or at 1902 Oak Street (on the corner of Oak and Ohio). Please give us at least one day’s notice so we can pick and deliver it fresh.

This week’s produce:

Herbs (mint, sage, thyme, basil, and parsley)–$2 a bundle/small bag

Onions– $2 and Shallots–$2 for 3

Bell peppers–$1 per pepper

Anaheim peppers–$.50 per pepper

Japanese or Globe Eggplant–$1

Large tomatoes–$1 per tomato

Medium–$1 for two tomatoes

Small–$2 half quart sized bag

Cucumbers—$1

Featured Recipe

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches with Romano-Black Pepper Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise                           Fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice                       4 medium tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 slices Italian bread or focaccia

Directions

Combine mayonnaise, cheese, lemon juice and pepper. Season, if desired, with salt; refrigerate. Brush eggplant slices on both sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Season, if desired, with salt and black pepper. Grill, turning once, 8 minutes or until slightly charred and tender. Brush tomatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season, if desired, with salt and black pepper. Grill, turning once, 4 minutes or until charred and slightly softened. Remove and slice into quarters lengthwise. Evenly spread bread with mayonnaise mixture, then top with basil, eggplant and tomatoes.

Recycled 2 Liter Bottle Greenhouse

One of our projects this summer is to build a greenhouse out of recycled 2 liter soda bottles. We’re going to need around 4,000 to create the whole thing! So if you have any bottles you would like to donate, please contact one of the Stewards and we can either pick them up or you can drop them off at the soon-to-be greenhouse (in the backyard of 1902 Oak).

Landscaping

A plan has been made for the plot net to the Eco House (used to be 1908). Coming up in the next couple weeks we will be hosting a couple of work days in order to get the landscaping done. We will be needing help tilling, digging holes and planting lots of things. We are currently working on pricing out everything that we have planned for the yard. If you know anyone or anywhere that would be willing to donate or give us a discounted price on the items below, please let us know.

• Fruit trees
• Berry-bearing shrubs
• Other native shrubs

Idaho’s Bounty

Idaho’s Bounty is an online co-op that is devoted to bringing local organic food to the community. The Stewards are going to front the membership fee for the campus and we are compiling a list of people who are interested. If you are interested in ordering food from them this year, email the Stewards.

If you would like to contact the stewards, here is the info:

Email: sustainabilitystewards@collegeofidaho.edu

Phone: (208)691-9755

Keeping up with the idea that this blog will be an instruction manual for future interns, I think the tomato monstrosities should be addressed. We originally decided to try to stake the tomatoes with a singular bamboo stake and green grow tape. Unfortunately, to do this successfully, each plant has to be de-suckered (pinch new growing stems so that just one main stem continues to grow). With 72 plants, we kind of just let them all go and didn’t pay that much attention to them. Now they are taking over and laying in the isles. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem except that to pick the tomatoes we have to clamber over stems, trying not to break them or smash any new tomatoes. So we decided to re-do the whole staking process. We ended up deciding on using 3 or 4 bamboo stakes and using mason twine to pull the branches up and make a kind of cage. So this is the final product of the staking. Whoever does this next year should probably get on it earlier than we decided to. Fighting with the giant monstrosities takes a lot more time than it should. But they’re almost all staked up and we finally have isles again between the tomatoes. Yay.