Farm Direct Coop Recipesor. . . what you can do with your share!

By Sarah Shamel, Salem Depot

This recipe base is yummy with lots of different variations of veggies and cheeses.

• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• cubed bread
• grated swiss and gruyere cheese
• 1 bunch chard
• grated kohlrabi
• chopped leeks

1. Beat eggs with milk.  Layer some bread on bottom of large casserole dish.  Top with 1 bunch chard, steamed & chopped.
2. Add a layer of grated cheese and 1/2 the egg mixture.  Another layer of bread.  Then grated kohlrabi sauteed with chopped leeks.
3. Pour on rest of egg mixture.  Top with more grated cheese.  Bake at 350 until cooked through (about 40 minutes).  Keep it covered with foil for all but the last 10 minutes.

By Jeanne Coffey, newsletter editor (FDC Newsletter July 6, 2010)

When I was a girl, every July 4th, my sister and I would head into the thicket behind my grandfather’s house to pick raspberries. The vines clawing at our bare legs and clothes, we would forage until we had a good-sized bowl of  berries. Then my grand-father would break out the hand-cranked ice cream maker and my sister and I would churn raspberry ice cream. That soft, creamy, tangy ice cream remains the tastiest I’ve ever had. So this year, when I heard berries would be available at the depot, I saw the chance to continue the tradition.  The recipe my grandfather used seems to be lost, but my aunt remembers it was a cooked custard-style, so I adapted the recipe below from a Strawberry Ice Cream recipe in Cooking Light magazine. This is for a large gallon-size ice cream maker – you can cut the recipe down to fit in a smaller ice cream maker.

My girls are still too young to churn the ice cream – fortunately their cousins Claire and Kevin were here to pitch in. Everyone agreed it was really good!

 Yield: About 16 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

• 4 cups half-and-half
• 2 1/2 cups 2% reduced fat milk
• 2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups fresh black raspberries or other berries
• juice of one lemon

1. Combine half-and-half and milk in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil.
2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks; beat with a mixer at high speed until thick and pale.  Gradually add half of hot milk mixture to yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Return to pan.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 2 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl or sink.  Cool completely, stirring occasionally.  If you find there are some lumps (as I did), don’t worry – just run it through a strainer.
3. Combine remaining 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in a microwave safe dish; microwave at high 2 1/2 minutes or until sugar dissolves.  Pour syrup over berries; crush with a potato masher, stir in lemon juice and let stand for 20 minutes.  Add berry mixture to milk mixture; stir well.  Cover and chill.
4. Pour mixture into an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

By Sara Novak, Planet Green (www.planetgreen.com) (FDC Newsletter July 27, 2010).  Recipe Adapted from Art of the Drink.

Makes one cocktail

A refreshing use of local produce.

• 8 basil leaves
• 4 mint leaves
• 1 tsp raw sugar
• 1 Tbl lime juice
• 12 local blueberries
• 1 1/2 oz rum
• Top with soda water
• Garnish with more blueberries

1. Muddle basil, mint, sugar, and lime juice in base of a shaker glass.  Add blueberries, and continue to muddle.
2. Add rum and ice and shake.
3. Fill tall glass with ice and and strain muddled rum mixture into the glass and top with soda water.  Garnish with more blueberries.

Submitted by Beth Duplessie, Melrose Depot (FDC Newsletter August 2, 2010)

My oregano was getting so out of control that I had to take drastic measures! I chopped it all down, the kids washed it in the kiddie pool (it filled the pool!) then I let them use the salad spinner on it. I have made a few variations of pesto, but this is my hands down favorite. Ceiny, my 18-month-old, and I eat it straight from the jar, but I also put it on everything – so good on grilled cheese or with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. The original recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens and used basil (also delicious!). [Ed. note: try this tossed with new potatoes – either warm or at room temperature, for a lovely salad or side dish!]

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups oregano (or basil, or a mix of the two)
• About 2.5 oz olives (I use Kalamata – the color of the olive gives a pretty purple hue to the pesto)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper

1. Combine and process until smooth.

For my birthday, we have started a tradition of roadtripping in celebration. Last year, we went to Nova Scotia. This year, we were Amish Country bound! For those of you keeping track at home, it’s July 26th. So, after picking up our CSA share, we were off to PA! That also meant no cooking for five days!

We have a bunch of things happening, and one is the upcoming Falmouth Road Race, which we’re running in support of the Boston Bruins Foundation. We’ve got a small window in which to raise funds, so I threw a bake sale last week to try and help it out. I’ve included the photos of things I baked, too! (Seeing as this post would have been much smaller without it!)

Week #7 haul was: radishes, peppers, corn, blueberries, cabbage, green beans, mexican basil and Iggy’s cranberry walnut bread.

Braised Curry Cabbage

We stopped at the Bird-in-Hand farmer’s market on our way to Intercourse, PA, and pretty much bought all the spices they had for sale! There was a small Amish-run stand and I got, among other pretties, this “mild” curry powder. It smelled so fragrant and seeing as I was completely out at home, I needed to buy it. It turned out to be not so mild afterall, and that’s just how we like it in the Wade house. A little kick in the pants!

~15 cabbage leaves, cut into ribbons

good handful of green beans, trimmed

1 ear of corn, with kernels cut

curry powder

salt, pepper

olive oil

Trim thick parts of cabbage and slice into ribbons. Add a little bit of olive oil to the pan, and add your cabbage. Cook on medium low heat until it wilts. I like my cabbage to be pretty soft, so I cook about 25 minutes before adding my other ingredients. Sprinkle with curry powder, add salt and pepper. Add green beans and corn. Cover and simmer on low until done. We had it as a side dish and it made just slightly more than 2 servings.

Stuffed Peppers

I have made stuffed peppers about 100 ways, though my favorite is with risotto (ask my sister, she LOVES them). I realize there’s no rice in here, but in an attempt to detoxify us from too much of everything on our trip, I wanted a lot of protein and a lot of veggies. I like to precook my peppers because, in my opinion, there’s nothing worse than fully cooked stuffing innards and a giant raw green pepper. That said, I was doing about a million things at once, and overcooked these a tad. Whoops.

2 green peppers

1 scallion, minced

~10 mushrooms, sliced

~10 grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 pound lean ground turkey

1/2 cup black beans (washed and drained if using canned)

parsley

raw milk swiss

Preheat oven to 350 and cook peppers about 10 minutes. They should be soft and not losing their vibrant color (like mine are). In another pan, make the stuffing. Sautee scallions, mushrooms and tomatoes in olive oil until softened. Add turkey, breaking up with fork to cook through properly. Add salt, pepper, beans and chopped parsley.  Cut cheese into small pieces and add in. Stir until everything is melted and combined. Fill peppers, and top each pepper with a small bite more of cheese. Return to oven for a couple minutes to melt it down. Voila.

Quinoa Salad with Feta

I love quinoa! I do. It’s a perfect non-meat protein with all 8 amino acids present. I try to buy the washed kind, just because the grains are so tiny and they slip through the colander easily. I used red quinoa here (husband’s request, he likes the red version), and a bunch of vegetables I had in the fridge. I topped with feta because feta makes it bettah. (Note: I really love quinoa salad with beans or a hard boiled egg for extra protein.)

1 cup of cooked quinoa (according to directions on package)

diced red onion

corn kernels

2 large radishes, diced

handful of mexican basil

crumbled feta

salt, pepper

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

Assemble vegetables in a bowl. When quinoa is fully cooked, add hot quinoa to the vegetables. Sprinkle salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic to taste. Add basil and top with crumbled feta cheese. Happy!

Triple Chocolate Brownies with Marshmallow Filling

I do admit I think these look tragically trashy. However, as I learned at the bake sale, people want trashy. They also want chocolate. Cook’s Illustrated has a brownie recipe I use, and I add chocolate chunks and cocoa powder to the base.

So, I put them in muffin cups because I am a nut about clean edges on things. I should just get this all-edges pan and call it a day:

http://www.bakersedge.com/

For the filling, I took about 1.5 cups of fluff, and whipped it with 1/4 cup heavy cream. Then, I piped it on and filled the brownies. Note: let the brownies cool completely before you fill them. Also, chill the marshmallow filling while they cool. It will make your life much easier.

Toffee-Coconut Blondies, Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies, and Maple Snickerdoodles

Another smattering of things I made for the bake sale. I have made this blondie base before, and it comes from the lovely Deb at Smitten Kitchen! I add toffee bits and coconut. I had repeats buys on these!

The peanut butter cookies can be found right here. I did not use peanut butter chips, however. Mine came out super fluffy, too!

Oh and the pretty little Maple Snickerdoodles. Just make them. I know it’s not chocolately or gooey, but five sweet students asked for the recipe. They came over in a group. It was really heartwarming.

I’m hoping the baking photos make up for the lack of cooking. I promise I was really busy in the kitchen!

Oh, what pretty little gems. I wanted both the white and red currants, and had a difficult time choosing. Week #6 was: red currants, blueberries, swiss chard, beets, patty pan squash, zucchini, tomatoes, white onions, raw milk swiss and multigrain bread.

And here’s what it looks like:

Giambotta

I think every Italian family makes their own version of giambotta. It’s versatile, quick and good for you. It’s a great way to clean out your fridge, too! I have served this with rice, couscous and bulgur wheat. I like it best with ciabatta though (best way to sop up all the lovely sauce). Add pretty much any combination of vegetables you like here. You can make a winter version with more root vegetables, or a spring version with peas and asparagus. You really can’t go wrong.

1/2 onion, diced

1 zucchini, cut into half moons

mushrooms, sliced (I just used what I had, but use any amount)

1 patty pan squash, diced

1 ear of corn with kernels sliced off

~ 20 fingerling potatoes, halved

basil

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 cup or so of crushed tomatoes

2 bay leaves

salt, pepper

Sautee onion, zucchini, patty pan squash, mushrooms and potatoes in a little olive oil over medium heat until veggies begin to soften. Add 1/2 cup of broth, add bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste, and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, and adjust seasoning as needed. Continue to cook over low heat until the potatoes are done. You can leave basil whole, or cut into ribbons and add when cooking is complete. Residual heat will cook it down. Top with pecorino romano (our choice!) or parmesan. Mangia!

Cumin-scented Carrots with Feta

My husband advocated for this dish, which was featured in our CSA newsletter. The modifications I made was much less oil and dry cumin instead of seeds. This was absolutely outstanding. Carrots and cumin just want to be together. It’s that simple. Also, it’s pretty much gonna be my go-to dish when I find myself with loads of carrots hanging around. Recipe right here!

Tabouleh

Tabouleh is just good, fresh eating! I think it’s all the parsley and lemon. I made a tzatziki to go along with this. I didn’t like the photo, so it’s not included! However it’s a tasty combo of plain greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, salt, pepper and grated cucumber. I like topping the tabouleh with it.

1 cup cooked couscous (we like the whole wheat kind)

1 large tomato, diced

1 scallion, minced

1 head of parsley, chopped

juice and zest of 1 lemon

salt, pepper, olive oil

Cook couscous according to directions. Fluff with fork and add to a bowl. Add in tomato, onion, parsley, lemon juice and zest, bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. It doesn’t need more than that! If you feel like you need more protein, you can add in chick peas, or even top with grilled chicken.

Swiss Chard Quiche

Yeah, so I do love quiche. It’s fast and good for you, if you make it lighter than the traditional “heavy cream and buttery crust version”. I know that tastes really yummy, but if it’s a dish I’ll be eating for lunch a few days in a row…I like to keep my calorie count in check.

1 head of swiss chard, cooked down

1/2 small white onion, minced

5 mushrooms, sliced

4 eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

1/2 cup lowfat milk

feta, goat or gouda cheese, for topping (you won’t need much)

salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the onion and chard over medium/low heat until the chard is fully wilted. In a bowl, beat three eggs with salt and pepper. Add egg whites and milk. Add veggies to the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture into a non-stick pan or one you’ve sprayed with non-stick spray. Top quiche with mushrooms and cheese.  Bake until it doesn’t look wet or jiggly in the center. I will usually err on the side of overcooking, as I really hate wet quiche. I serve over lettuce. Makes 4 generous servings.

Salad with Blue Cheese

I don’t even think this should warrant a recipe, but in the interest of keeping honest with what I’ve made with CSA goodies, I’m putting it in here. I really REALLY adore blue cheese. That’s basically my only note on this. Oh, one other thing. Get your hands on some really fabulous baslamic vinegar. At the Salumeria Italiana in Boston’s North End, they sell a basalmic called Rubio Aceto Balsamico di Modena. It’s got the consistency of syrup. It’s $34 for the 8.5oz bottle they sell and it’s worth every single penny. They’ll let you sample it (and really, you’ll want more than a plastic spoonful of it) before you buy. It’s so high quality that you’ll need very little of it in making a salad dressing. So it’ll last a long time. It’s the very definition of luxury, I tell you.

arugula

tomatoes

cucumber

edamame, shelled

scallion

avocado

crumbled blue cheese (you need such a small amount for big taste payoff)

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine your salad fixings and top with a little blue cheese. I dress my salad right in the bowl. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic right onto salad. Add black pepper and salt (as always, I like coarse ground pepper and sea salt). Plate up and eat up!

Lemon Currant Muffins

Parchment paper in lieu of muffin liners makes for pretty photos, no? I cut them into about 5″ squares, and placed in the palm of my hand, before adding muffin batter (I filled with a 1/4 cup measurement). With the parchment paper filled, it’s easier to wrangle it into the muffin tin.

My recipe was loosely based on this from Almost Bourdain, but with some obvious changes.

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup very soft butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla

a pint of red currants, washed and coated in flour so they don’t sink in the batter

Preheat your oven to 350. Beat butter and eggs for three minutes. Add sugar and beat for another minute more. Add milk until fully incorporated. Add lemon juice, zest and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients, then add a little bit at a time to the wet mixture, until fully incorporated. Using a big spoon, slowly stir in your currants, as to not break them too much. Fill a cake pan or muffin tins with the batter. Cook about 12-15 mins or until done. I hope you like them!

Wow!  What a great harvest this week!  This is what we did tonight.  NO-COOK, it was hot tonight.   Used all grape rather than beefsteak tomato.  Grilled corn in husk. found sa few years back on Cookinglight.com  .

• 1  tablespoon  grated lemon rind
• 5  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1  tablespoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  honey
• 1/2  teaspoon  Dijon mustard
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  cup  fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced basil leaves
• 1/4  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped red onion
• 1  pound  lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
• 8  (1/4-inch-thick) slices ripe beefsteak tomato
• 2  cups  cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Combine rind, 3 tablespoons juice, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons juice mixture. Add remaining 2 tablespoons juice, corn, and next 4 ingredients (through crab) to remaining juice mixture; toss gently to coat.

2. Arrange 2 tomato slices and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes on each of 4 plates. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon reserved juice mixture over each serving. Top each serving with 1 cup corn and crab mixture

So easy and fast.  Good for hot nights as it is “No Cook”.   

You can also toss the ribbons with wide flat pasta, such as pappardelle, for a delicious entrée.   I recommend basil and oregano but use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.  I found it last year at cookinglight.com

• 3  small zucchini (about 1 pound)
• 3  small yellow squash (about 1 pound)
• 1  tablespoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1/3  cup  thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

1.  Shave zucchini and yellow squash into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, stopping at the seeds; place ribbons in a large bowl. Discard seed cores.
2.  Combine oil, rind, juice, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Drizzle oil mixture over vegetable ribbons; sprinkle with basil and oregano. Toss gently.
3. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serve immediately

From FDC Newsletter 8-23-07 .  Posted by Sandi Peaslee from the Martha Stewart Magazine.

• 8 ripe medium tomatoes
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 2 ripe peaches, cut into ½” pieces
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into ½” pieces
• kernels from 2 ears of corn
• 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 ¼ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves plus sprigs for garnish

1. Slice off tops of tomatoes (about ½ inch). Scoop out seeds and ribs and coarsely chop.
2. Stir together chopped tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, corn oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.
3. Let stand for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in basil.
5. Season inside of tomato shells with salt and pepper. Fill tomatoes with tomato mixture and garnish with basil sprigs.

Serve immediately

Orginally from FDC  newsletter 7-27-07.  Contributed by Sandra Broughton

• 1 cup cornmeal
• ½ cup flour
• 2 tsp. molasses
• 2 tsp. baking powder  
• ½ tsp. salt  
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2-3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1 onion, grated
• ¼ cup corn oil
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup Monterey jack or sharp cheddar cheese, grated  

1. Mix all ingredients and pour into a hot oiled 8×8-baking pan. Do not over stir.
2. Bake at 375° for 40 Minutes or until browned on top.

Serve hot with butter.

Variation: For an equally delicious yet less “hot” cornbread, simply leave out the jalapenos and onions