Mercy Community Garden

MERCY GARDEN UPDATES

thegardendiva — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:20:21 +0000

A big thank you to all who attended our first GARDEN TO TABLE cooking demonstration. It was a huge success! Attendance was great! The audience had a lot of good gardening questions, and cooking questions. The recipes were very well received. I’m including copies of the recipe for those who were unable to attend.

Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Arugula, Ranch Tomatoes and Tarragon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick
1 pound arugula
1 pint tear-drop tomatoes, cut in 1/2

Directions

Tarragon Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl add olive oil, sherry vinegar, chopped tarragon, salt and cracked pepper and whisk. Reserve for salad.

Brush zucchini and squash with tarragon vinaigrette and grill lightly on both sides. Reserve for salad.

In a large bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes, and tarragon vinaigrette; add a little at a time. Do not overdress salad; greens should be lightly coated. Lay out 8 plates, arrange 1 zucchini slice and 1 yellow squash slice on each plate, add a handful of arugula tomato salad and season with salt and cracked pepper.

Grilled Corn and Tomato-Sweet Onion Salad with Fresh Basil dressing and Crumbled Blue Cheese

Ingredients

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ears corn, grilled in the husk, kernels removed
1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), halved and thinly sliced
1 pint Sweet 100 tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Combine the vinegar, basil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Can be made 2 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

Combine the corn kernels, onion and tomato in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat, season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Top with crumbled blue cheese and garnish with basil sprigs just before serving. Salad can be made 1 day in advance and served cold or at room temperature.

Recipes were reprinted from the Food Network website. www.foodtv.com

MERCY FARMER’S MARKET

Friday September 2nd, 2011 will be our Farmer’s Market The hours are 10am – 2pm. This is your final opportunity to purchase our fresh organically grown produce for the season.

GARDEN UPDATES

Now that our summer season is coming to an end, we are preparing the garden for fall crops. We will be planting Arugula, Tat Tsoi, and a variety of other cutting greens. Last week week we had Ruby Fung, our volunteer, help clear the Summer Squash bed to make room for these changes. Thanks Ruby for all your help!

On a more personal note, it was an honor and a privilege to serve as your intern for this season. I learned a lot, met many wonderful people from the Mercy Hospital community, and got to share my two passions: Gardening and Cooking!

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GARDEN TO TABLE

thegardendiva — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:52:35 +0000

Join us for a special cooking demonstration, Garden to Table on Wednesday August 24th at Noon in Auditorium Foyer.

Learn how to prepare delicious salads using produce from Mercy’s Garden. We will have tasty samples and recipes to share with all. RSVP TO 312.567.6700 or online at mercy-chicago.org/events

GARDEN UPDATES

A big THANK YOU to all who came out and supported or Farmers Market on Friday, August 12th. Sales were brisk all day! TOMATOES ROCKED! Our next farmstand will be Friday, September 2nd, 10am – 2pm. Please contiue to spread the word.

Looks like summer is coming to a close soon, and we will be preparing to plant our fall crops as well. They include, collards, kale, spinach and a variety of quick greens.

Here’s a little ditty to lively up your day:

What does corn say when it feels embarrased?

Aw, shucks!

Upcoming Events with Mercy Hospital Garden

thegardendiva — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:27:53 +0000

Hi everyone. Hope all is well. The garden is growing by leaps and bounds. Just take a look at our Yellow Bush Tomatoes pictured here. Just a quick reminder for you to come out to our Mercy Farmers Market this Friday August 12, 2011 from 10am - 2pm. YES! We will have tomatoes from the garden. Quantity is limited so early birds will get the best pick. We will also have beets, garlic, cucumbers, eggplant, squash and a variety of other vegetables.

I’m inviting everyone to our Garden to Table Cooking Demonstration. I, Desiree Sanders your lovely Mercy garden intern will be showing you how to prepare fresh produce in an interactive environment featuring tasty samples. I will share with you two easy and delicious summer salad recipes using fresh produce from the garden. This event is FREE, but registration is required. Please call 312-567-6700 to RSVP.

In the meantime I’d like to share a easy recipe that I enjoy making.

Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

Salad:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
4 ears corn, kernels removed or 2 cups frozen and thawed corn kernels
1 dried bay leaf
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 ounces jicama, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons agave nectar or 2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lime zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Salad: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, if using. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft. Add the corn kernels and bay leaf. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the broth and black beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and jicama and stir until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, agave nectar (or maple syrup, if using), lemon zest, and lime zest. Whisk in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Remove the bay leaf and put the salad in a serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature.

As always a parting little ditty, I’d like to leave you with:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SIT ON A GRAPE?

It gives a little wine!

WHY ARE RADISHES SMART?

Because they’re so well-read!

Garden Updates!

thegardendiva — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:18:40 +0000

This Past Saturday’s volunteer day was awesome! Thanks to all of those who came and helped out. In particular, I’d like to thank Jeffery, Jabari and Beth. Dr. Mike and Dr. Connie were also on hand. Dr. Connie, Jeffery and Jabari cleared the carrot bed and direct seeded okra. Dr. Mike turned the compost bin, and Beth directed seeded beets. We got a lot accomplished, and everybody had a great time as well.

Wow, what a difference a few rainstorms can make. It seems as though everything is shooting up overnight. Our tomatoes our lovely. Squash is beautiful and the cucumbers are here. Peppers are almost ripe and ready for harvesting.

In honor of summer being in full swing, here are some fun facts about Tomatoes

Tomatoes are thought to have originated in Peru.
The tomato is America’s fourth most popular fresh-market vegetable behind potatoes, lettuce and onions.
Fresh tomatoes are loaded with vitamins A and C. Not to mention it’s pretty much the best natural source for the antioxidant lycopene.

As always, I’d like to leave you with few zingers to brighten your day:

Q: Why did the tomato go out with a prune?

A: Because he couldn’t find a date!

Q: Why was the tomato blushing?

A: Because he saw the salad dressing!

Farmer’s Market This Friday!

windycityharvest — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:58:13 +0000

Just a reminder that the second Mercy farm stand is happening this friday July 15th from 10am – 2pm. We’ll be accepting cash and link cards and selling produce grown in organically in Chicago by students of the Windy City Harvest program.

We will be located on the lawn next to the family health center south west of the hospital. please see the map below!

View Larger Map

Thanks for making our first mercy market of 2011 a sucess!

windycityharvest — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:51:34 +0000

Hey it’s Desiree your Windy City Harvest intern. I wanted to say a big thank you for all who came out and supported my first Mercy Market Day. It was a success. Sorry for the location confusion. YES…we will most likely have tomatoes and possibly peppers at our next Market. Friday July 15, 2011 from 10am – 2pm. Looking forward to it.

I’d like to give a big shout out to Dr. Connie for showing up on our Saturday Volunteer Day. We thinned the carrot bed, turned compost, pruned tomatoes, and weeded. Thanks Dr. C for the bagels and conversation. Well for those of you who couldn’t make it…I’ll be looking for you at the next one on Saturday July 23rd from 8am- 11am.

Blayne and I direct seeded beets 2 weeks ago and they are coming in nicely. The summer squash is lovely…peek in and take a look. Until next time

Get up…get going…get growing!

Desiree

Mercy Hospital Community Garden CEG( Chief Executive Gardener) LOL!

Click to view slideshow.

Summer Volunteer Hours / Mercy Market Stand Starts June 24th!

windycityharvest — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:54:56 +0000

Come join Desiree in the garden this summer and get your hands in the soil!

Summer volunteer hours will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am – 2pm every week until September.

In addition we will have Saturday Community Work Days on June 26th, July 23rd and August 20th from 8am – 12pm.

We have also set our farm stand dates for the summer, where we will be selling produce from the mercy garden as well as our other windy city harvest sites. Come stop by and pick up freshly harvested, local, and organically grown produce on the following dates:

June 24th, July 15th, August 12th, and September 2nd. 10am-2pm

Look forward to seeing you soon,

Blayne and Desiree

New Volunteer Hours Starting Soon

windycityharvest — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:03:44 +0000

After a long winter and an a mercurial spring, new volunteer hours will be announced this coming week for the spring / summer season. Stop by soon to meet our new coordinator Desiree Sanders, who will be looking after the garden for her Windy City Harvest summer internship.

Winter Volunteer Hours

windycityharvest — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 21:46:08 +0000

As we extend the season into the fall, we will have volunteer hours on Tuesday from 2-4 until Dec 14 (weather permitting). Come stop by and say hi to Raphael who will be looking after the garden as the air becomes crisp and the days become shorter!

Hoop houses in our garden

windycityharvest — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:35:39 +0000

The hoop houses have been installed! They look wonderful, and are already keeping the plants snug while temperatures outside plunge. Thanks to volunteers Michele and Dr. Catalani who came out to help Rafael and myself set them up this past Wednesday. It was chilly and windy, but altogether a really productive and fun evening!

For Mercy’s hoop houses, we were able to utilize the wonderfully thick and sturdy cedar timbers to hold the PVC hoop structures over the beds. We drilled a 6″ deep 3/4″ diameter hole at each corner and in the center of each timber. The PVC was cut to 8′ lengths and inserted into the holes. Another small hole was drilled at the top of each hoop, with corresponding holes drilled into an 8′ length of PVC for the spines of the hoops. (the spines keep the snow from collecting in between the hoops and collapsing the plastic covers). The spines were attached with zip ties. Clear plastic sheeting was cut to size and lofted over the hoop structures. It is weighted into place with bricks, and secured around the base with a clamp.

The plastic is lifted for aeration on warm days, and kept closed when the air is chilly. Lifting the plastic allows for easy watering and harvesting, as well. The air inside the hoop can range from 3-25 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature, making growth much easier for the plants.

Check out the photos below to watch the construction happen.

Click to view slideshow.

Construction of hoop houses is most always tailored to the beds that they will be covering. Each design is adapted to the particular location, as environmental concerns, materials available, and growing conditions vary with each individual garden. If you’re interested in setting hoop houses up for your own garden, I suggest purchasing Eliot Coleman’s The Winter Harvest Handbook.

Other good online resources include: