Brunch at Pringle Creek

You're Invited to Brunch at Pringle Creek Community Please join us January 5th at 11am for brunch and an opportunity to tour Pringle Creek Community. Please RSVP as space is limited. We hope that you will be able to join us! Cost is $18 per person  Menu Apple Turnovers Hazelnut Cinnamon Rolls Onion & Herb Quiche Swiss Chard Strata Fresh Fruit & Bacon Apple Cider, Coffee & Tea Join Our Mailing List! Pringle Creek Community 3911 Village Center Drive Salem, Oregon 97302

Growth In The Greenhouse, Even In December

Urban Farming in December at Pringle Creek Community involves spending a lot of time in cold wet weather. The garden and orchards are sitting under a foot of leaf mulch and have been put to bed for the rest of the winter season. The bee hives in the orchard have been holding up to the wind and rain so far and should not show much movement until February.

Life in the greenhouses is slow growing but going! Broccoli starts planted in the beds in early fall have given us our first crop of harvestable broccoli heads. Check in with Margaret at Painter's Hall Cafe for some delicious broccoli cheese soup soon to appear on the menu.

We had a variety of hot peppers growing over the summer and I wanted to experiment overwintering the plants. They gave out another crop in September and I was able to harvest green bunch this week. They were not going to ripen with the cloudy cold weather of our winter season but will be tasty in our winter soup selections. It will be exciting to see if some of the pepper plants will survive until spring and begin giving us peppers sooner.

The greenhouse raised beds will provide the cafe with salad greens, cooking greens, leeks, onions, overwintered carrots and other root vegetables until the garden comes back to life in the spring. As we all bunker down for winter we can all reflect on the past year, enjoy good comforting food, and dream of sunshine and life renewed in 2013.

Happy Holidays to everyone and a Happy New Year!

December Cafe Closures

Painters Hall Cafe will be closed on the following dates:

Monday, December 3rd

Monday December 24th-Friday January 4th

We still have plenty of dates open for groups looking to host a holiday get-together with co-workers or loved ones this holiday season. If you would like information about availability, send us an email or give us a call at (503) 315-1055. We look forward to helping you celebrate this season!

Portrait of Pringle Creek

    

Photos taken by Jake Poznar

November Dinner Event

Dinner with Pringle Creek Join us for a dinner with Pringle Creek  We would like to invite you to join us for the second in a series of local eating events at Pringle Creek Community. This month our menu centers around foods from the Root Cellar, produce coming out of our garden & orchards with several supplements coming from vendors in and around Salem. If you are interested in hearing more about what we are doing here at Pringle Creek, or you're just looking for a good meal, come to our Dinner at Pringle Creek Friday, November 30th at 6:00pm. Our menu for the evening (found below) is $15 for Vegetarians and $20 for Omnivores with proceeds going to support our garden & orchard programs.  Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as possible either by email to info@pringlecreek.com or by phone at (503) 315-1055.  Autumn Harvest Menu Appetizer Spinach Puffs Soup Spicy Butternut Squash Soup Entree Pumpkin Shepherds Pie Dessert Apple Gallete Pringle Creek Community 3911 Village Center Dr Salem, Oregon 97302

Turtle Ridge Event at Pringle Creek

Wild at Heart

Presented

December 2, 2012

2PM to 4PM

by James Dawson

Wildlife Scientist & Educator

Whether it’s the flash of a hawk chasing birds from the backyard feeder or the grace of a doe leading two shy fawns behind the house, when it comes to unexpected encounters with wild animals, everyone is a kid at heart!  Adults and children of all ages are invited to join Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center for a program to learn about wildlife and the many ways in which we can coexist with them. Find out what to do if you find injured or orphaned wildlife and how Turtle Ridge is growing to better meet the demands of wildlife conservation in the area.

See a hawk fly and meet our bird ambassadors up close. This family event is a one-hour presentation offered free of charge.

Pumpkins, Apples and Monsters, Oh My!

Last Wednesday we celebrated October 31st with an All Hallows' Evening event at Pringle Creek Community. Neighbors and friends of Pringle Creek joined together for some crafts, monster creating, hung apple biting, pumpkin bowing, good food and fun. Thank you to all of you who took part and made the evening such a success.

The weather stayed cool and rainy, a perfect end to October. Apples harvested from the Pringle Creek Community orchard dangled from string and challenged our party goers to a contest of who could get the most bites without using their hands. For some, the apple was too tasty keep at the challenge for long.

What would any Hallow Eve celebration be without monsters. At our monster creation table kids drew their own monsters, gave them names and shared them on our monster wall for all to scream, oops, see!


If you have never tried to bowl with a pumpkin, add it to your bucket list of fun things to try. Our bowling teams hit high scores and even a few strikes.

Creating community and having fun are perfect ingredients for happy living, all of which we strive for everyday at Pringle Creek Community. Join us next year for another All Hallows' Evening celebration.

New menu at Painters Hall Cafe!

Painters Hall Café

Open Monday-Friday 9am-2pm

Salads

Apple & Cranberry Salad

A bed of winter greens straight from our greenhouse topped with PC apples, Chevre, PC Carrots, and Toasted Hazelnuts. $5 Small or $7 Large

Sandwiches

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

BBQ Chicken piled high on ciabatta roll with havarti, caramelized onions, and chard.  $7 Half or $9 Whole

Turkey & Cranberry Sandwich

Oven roasted turkey served on a ciabatta roll spread with cranberry cream cheese and piled high with leafy greens. $6 Half or $8 Whole

Roasted Turkey Panini

Oven roasted turkey served on a ciabatta roll spread with an herb aioli and pressed together with havarti, caramelized onions and PC spinach. $6 Half or $8 Whole

Harvest Stand Panini

Pringle Creek winter squash, caramelized onions, and mushrooms melted together with havarti on a ciabatta roll spread with an herb aioli. $5 Half or $7 Whole

Cranberry & Goat Cheese Panini

Fresh cranberry sauce pressed together with Chevre, carmelized onions, and arugula on a ciabatta roll. 

$5 Half or $7 Whole

October 31st

Just a quick reminder that on Wednesday, October 31st we will be closed during our normal business hours. However, we will be open in the evening from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in conjunction with our All Hallows Eve-ning event. In addition to our normal cafe menu we will have a Tillamook Cheddar Grilled Cheese sandwich served on Cascade Baking Company's whole wheat bread as well as serving both Tomato and Mushroom Barley soup to help ward off what promises to be a chilly evening. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our All Hallows Eve-ning!

All Hallows' Evening

October 2012 Pringle Creek Presents an All Hallows' Evening In celebration of the changing of the seasons we are having a fall festival from 4:00pm to 6:00 pm on October 31st. We will have several different games and activities spanning various age groups as well as having the Painters Hall Cafe open until 5:30pm for a healthy dinner option. Costumes are optional, but encouraged and we look forward to seeing you there. If you are interested in joining us for our All Hallows' Evening please RSVP to  with the ages of any children you are bringing so that we can make sure we are well stocked with supplies for the appropriate age groups. We hope you'll join us for an evening of family-oriented fun! Fall Festival Activities Pumpkin Bowling Knock down the bowling pins with nature's very own version of the typical bowling ball.   Mask Creation Use materials gathered on site to make a unique, fun, and sustainable costume. Apple Bobbing  Try your luck "bobbing" for apples on a string. Every participant gets a prize: their very own Pringle Creek apple! Scavenger Hunt A Pringle wide scavenger hunt with different sets of clues for different age groups! This activity can be done in groups or as an individual.

Light and Bright with Outdoor Living

We are pleased to announce the completion of our latest home "Red Tail". Some of our favorite features are the over sized front porch that catches the morning sun and covered patio, perfect for summer entertaining. Red Tail also features well placed oversized windows that keep this energy efficient home light and bright throughout the year. We have used the best green building materials throughout this home including beautiful, low maintenance native Oregon landscaping.  Please contact us today if you would like to tour this beautiful home, or any of our other homes.

Event Space at Pringle Creek

Recently we have had a lot of people asking for information about using Painters Hall as an event space so we thought it might be helpful to write a short blurb about how versatile the space is as an event venue.

Painters Hall rents for $100 an hour with a complimentary hour for set up/take down. We also offer non-profit rates that help bring the cost down for organizations that are in line with our mission at Pringle Creek. This rental fee includes use of our tables, chairs, sound system and projector as well as our kitchen facilities. Our dinnerware is also available to rent for those interested in using it. Additionally, we offer catering services that provide healthy, delicious and locally sourced options that help pull the whole event together.

We have had a plethora of events at Painters Hall ranging from wedding rehearsal dinners to corporate training sessions. Our space offers an appropriate venue for any occasion and we look forward to working with you to plan your next event here at Pringle Creek!

Benefits of Sustainability

From our friends at the Federal Highway Administration comes this condensed summary on the Benefits of Livability. Seriously, the FHA is part of a federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities that includes the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing.  All trying to do good work by sharing their expertise and coordinating their efforts.

Aside from a bit of jargon, there are great points here.  They begin by listing some of the Economic Benefits (including energy savings and lower maintenance costs) followed by Public Health Benefits (which gets personal pretty quickly), and finally they address Environmental Benefits, pointing notably to air and water quality and global warming.   

Sustainability covers a lot of ground, and Pringle Creek Community has a long list of features that include concrete initiatives like:

- Renewable Energy (geothermal and solar energy);

- Green Building (LEED Platinum or LEED Gold Homes, restored Community Center building       certified Net-Zero Energy by the International Living Building Challenge);

- 100% Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) lumber protects watersheds, forest diversity and habitat;

- Green Streets dramatically (90%) reduce run-off and pollution of local streams;

Electric Vehicle in front of Solar Powered Painters Hall Cafe 

Livability covers even more ground, and Pringle Creek Community has a list to match:

- Community Gardens, Orchards and restored Greenhouses

- Neighborhood Café and Village Green

- Community Center for public events and private parties

- Walking Trails connect a variety of Parks and Open Space

- Housing Diversity means neighbors of all ages and family make-up

- Healthy Homes (fresh air) and Healthy Lifestyles (walking and biking)

- Porches, Parks, Benches and Chairs offer places to meet and visit with friends or make new ones

Community Stream Restoration Effort

For a look at the longer list of Livability and Sustainability Benefits and Features from the U.S. Department of Transportation check out the long version of their summary:   http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/livability/state_of_the_practice_summary/research2011.pdf 

For a look at a remarkable sustainable community in Salem, Oregon, check out our website at www.pringlecreek.com, our blog at or better yet call ahead for tour and come out and explore for yourself . . .

Painter's Hall Cafe Closures

Painter's Hall Cafe will be closed for private events on the following dates this month:

Thursday, October 4^th

Thursday, October 11^th

Monday, October 15^th

Wednesday, October 31^st

Early Fall in the Garden and Orchard

Fall has arrived at Pringle Creek. The trees along the streets have begun their slow change from green to red, and are falling to the ground. You can tell which side of the trees get the most sun as the trees change in patches. It won't be long before more leaves will be found on the roads and sidewalks then in the branches.

Mornings have been cooler and damp the past few weeks causing some plants to begin finishing up for the year. We harvested the last of the Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash as the foliage began to die off for the season. A few squash are being cured in the root cellar to save for harvest decorations this November.


We planted short season sweet corn between the greenhouses and the first planting produced a good number of ears for harvesting. Painters Hall Cafe has incorporated some of the squash and corn into menu items like the summer vegetable panini and seasonal soup. Watch the cafe menu for more fall garden and orchard harvested additions!

Summer crops in the greenhouse are phasing out as well. New cooler weather crops such as beets, broccoli, leeks, and greens are sprouting. The last of the basil will soon be picked, the peppers potted up and over wintered, and tomatoes can finish ripening with the last of our falls sun.

The orchard has finished for the year with fruit tree leaves beginning to change color and fall. All but a few remaining apples have been picked and stored away. It was a wonderful year for the garden and orchard.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Dinner at Pringle Creek

This past Friday we hosted our first dinner event at Pringle Creek to help support our ever growing garden and orchard program. Our four course dinner featured our most successful summer crops including tomatoes, summer squash and plums. We also were able to source local dairy, meat, hazelnuts and some supplemental vegetables to round out our menu and create what we believe was a very memorable evening. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our first event, we believe that it was a huge success and we look forward to hosting many more in the future!

Events at Pringle Creek

Pringle Creek Community is starting a series of events designed to promote the values and mission of Pringle Creek as well as to help establish stronger ties with the various members of our greater Salem community. If you are interested in being added to our list email us at info @ pringlecreek (no spaces)and we'll add you to our monthly mailing. Here are a few highlights from the next couple of months:

September 28th: Dinner with Pringle Creek featuring local vendors and fruit and vegetables grown here at Pringle Creek.

October 31st: All Hallows Eve-ning with fall themed activities and health snacks for a safe and fun Halloween alternative or a festive fall celebration.

November & December events are soon to follow and as always, all information about upcoming events will be available here!

You're Invited to Dinner at Pringle Creek: Locally Grown

We would like to invite you to join us for the first in a series of local eating events at Pringle Creek Community. We will be focusing on local & sustainable food throughout the series beginning this month with a menu focusing on the produce coming out of our own garden & orchards with several supplements coming from vendors in and around Salem. If you are interested in hearing more about what we are doing here at Pringle Creek, or you're just looking for a good meal come to our Dinner at Pringle Creek Friday, September 28th at 6:00pm. Our menu for the evening (found below) is priced from $15-$20 with proceeds going to support our garden & orchard programs. 

Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as possible either by email to info@pringlecreek.com or by phone at (503) 315-1055 . 

Pringle Creek Garden Menu 

Appetizer

Tomato Variety Tasting with Plum & Chevre Crostini

Salad

Tomato & Summer Squash Caprese Salad

Entree

Shaved Summer Squash "Noodles" with your choice of a Napolitana or Bolagnase 

Dessert

Plum Crisp with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

New Autumn Menu!

Our new menu reflects not only the seasonal change in produce but also a shift towards the satisfying, warming foods that we all seem to crave once those crisp autumn days roll around. Our new menu features fruit out of the Pringle Creek Community orchards as well as produce out of our green houses.

New Additions to the Drink Menu

Pumpkin Spice Latte $3.50

Chai Tea Latte $3.00

Soups

Our seasonal soups use local seasonal ingredients and are available in a . This week is a Harvest Vegetable soup featuring corn, potatoes, squash, and tomatoes all grown at Pringle Creek. Cup $4 or Bowl $6

Salads

Pear & Goat Cheese Salads

A bed of mixed greens straight from our greenhouse topped with Pringle Creek Pears, Chevre, PCC Carrots, and toasted Hazelnuts. $5 Small or $7 Large

House Green Salad

Our mixed greens topped with PCC cherry tomatoes, carrots, fresh Italian basil, feta cheese and a sprinkle of red onion. $5 Small or $7 Large

Sandwiches

Curried Egg Salad

Made with eggs from our hens and served with mayo and plenty of leafy greens on Dave’s Killer Bread.  $5 Half or $7 Whole

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

BBQ Chicken piled high on ciabatta roll with havarti, carmelized onions, and chard.  $7 Half or $9 Whole

Autumn Roasted Turkey

Oven roasted turkey served on a ciabatta roll spread with a sundried tomato aioli and piled high with fresh tomatoes, havarti, and leafy greens. $6 Half or $8 Whole

Harvest Stand Panini

Grilled PCC crookneck squash, caramelized onions, and mushrooms melted together with havarti on a ciabatta roll spread with roasted pepper aioli. $5 Half or $7 Whole Pear Panini

PCC Pears pressed together with caramelized onions, sage, and creamy asiago cheese on a ciabatta roll. $5 Half or $7 Whole

Small Plates

Tomato Salad $2

Seasonal Fruit $2

Nut Butter & Jelly $4

Apple & Nut Butter $3

Deviled Egg $1

Cookie Baked to Order $1

Pastries Baked to Order $1