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

Ooooh what a fun haul! We were super excited to see tomatoes! Really, there isn’t too much better than warm summer tomatoes. Except when you add a little salt. So. GOOD.

The goodies:

Week #5 was chockful of: black raspberries, blueberries, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, beets, carrots, walnut sourdough, basil vinegar and arugula.

I love the photos my husband takes!

It seemed to be a little cooler this week (or perhaps I have acclimated finally?) so I did more than just salad assembling. What did I do with this lovely haulage? Check it out.

Black Raspberry Bread with Whipped Creme

I was imagining a spongey, lemony, fluffy goodness of a bread. My husband pretty much wants everything with whipped cream (I am incredibly grateful for my KitchenAid stand mixer!) and I wanted something light and refreshing to accompany it.

I adapted it from this Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe over at All Recipes, which is a handy site (espescially if you’re wondering what to do with an ingredient you’ve got on hand. You can simply enter random ingredients into their search feature. It gives me lots of ideas when I get stuck.)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

 2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 pint black raspberries

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together eggs and butter for three minutes. Add milk, lemon juice and zest. Add dry ingredients. After washing black raspberries, toss in flour before adding to cake batter. This assures they won’t sink to the bottom of the bread. Which makes for prettier pictures.

Bake at 350 until it’s done. My oven took about 25 minutes.

For the whipped cream, I used about a cup of heavy cream (I prefer this to whipping cream as I feel it’s got too many unnatural ingredients and I don’t want monoglycerides in my food) and 2 tablespoons of organic powdered sugar. You can use a hand or stand mixer, or, if you’re looking to work your upper body, whisk it by hand! I topped the whipped cream with mint, because mint makes things look fancy. 

Caprese Salad

 I know, right? You can totally taste it. These tomatoes were HANDS DOWN pretty amazing. I wanted to really taste the tomatoes and make them the feature of the dish. I paired with slices of mozzarella, and farm share basil (from the potted herbs in week #1). I arranged in a circle, topped with extra virgin olive oil, cracked pepper and coarse salt. Suffice as to say, there was nothing remaining in short time. We loved it!

Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash with Lemon Ricotta

Blogging pics of (mainly) everything I cook has opened my eyes a lot. I tend to make a lot of salad! I was trying NOT to do that this week. I decided to roast these up instead.

1 zucchini, diced into even pieces

1 summer squash, diced into even pieces

drizzle of olive oil

pinch of fennel seeds

pinch of cumin seeds

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salt, pepper

ricotta

Preheat oven to 400. Add veggies and oil to a pan and roast for about 18 minutes. Remove from oven, add spices, toss, and return to oven for five minutes.

In a bowl, add a few spoonfuls of ricotta, and juice of the lemon half. Mix up, and plate next to the zucchini and squash. Add a wee bit more olive oil to the ricotta. They’re really good when you eat them together!

Roasted Beets with Rosemary

My girlfriend Anne and I could talk about food and recipes for days on end – and we sometimes do! So when she sent me a link for a recipe for roasted beets, I jumped right on it. We made the same thing for dinner that night. And when your dear friend is all the way in Kentucky, it’s a nice little feeling.

You can check it out right here: Roasted Beet Wedges

Moroccan Tagine

This is 1) a favorite in our house and 2) a total joke in some ways. I have “threatened” to make this on many a hot night, only to scrap it at the last minute. Hey, I always have the best of intentions. And while I can do lots of things, I can’t control the weather. So now “moroccan” is synonymous with “we’re-totally-getting-takeout-instead”.

I came across this recipe this past winter, and ohhhhh, I have been in love with it since. I used the farm share carrots for this little gem.

Moroccan Tagine from Bon Appetit is a great recipe. I make it exactly as it reads here. I think you could substitute ground chicken, turkey or ground meatless, for the vegetarians. It’s really REALLY good. I hope you make it and LOVE IT!

From FDC Newletter  Aug  23 2007 submitted by Niki & David Goldbecks  AMERICAN WHOLEFOODS CUISINE

• 1 cup chopped or sliced cooked beets
• 1 cup chopped or sliced cucumber
• 2 chopped or sliced hard-cooked eggs
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt
• lemon juice
• salt, pepper, possibly dill

Combine all ingredients, add lemon juice. You can substitute a simple vinaigrette for the sour cream and lemon juice.

There are (at least) two approaches to making this salad. You can cut and dice everything and toss it, in which case you will have a savory and nutritious salad, which can even serve as a lunchtime dish, accompanied by bread and cheese. Everything will become beet color. Or, you can slice the cooked beets, cucumbers and hard cooked eggs and arrange the colorful circles on a platter, scatter the chopped scallions on the top, and carefully nap the painterly arrangement with a vinaigrette (mustard vinaigrette goes well with beets).

Originally post in June 2007 newsletter from “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman- submitted by Beth Duplessie

• 1 to  1 1/2 lbs. beets
• 1 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1tsp. salt
• 1/4 flour
• 2tbs. butter

1. 1. trim beet and peel as would potato; grate them them in food processor. 
2. preheat a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium heat
3. Toss grated beets in a bowl with rosemary and salt, add half the flour, toss well, add rest of flour, toss again.
4. Place butter in skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrap beet mixture into skillet, shape it into a circle, and press it down with a spatula.  Turn the heat to medium   cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 6-8 minutes.  Slide the cakes out onto a plate, top with  another plate,  invert the two plates and slide the cake back into the pan.  Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary until the second side is browned.
5. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Submitted by Jeanne MacDonald

• 1 bunch arugula
• 1 bunch beets, greens removed
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt Juice of half a lemon
• 8 oz. Crumbled feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil or steam the beets with their skins on, until just tender, and allow them to cool.
2. Roughly chop the arugula, rinse several times in cool water, and spin dry in salad spinner.
3. Rub the skins off the cooled beets and cut beets into bite-sized cubes.
4. Toss the arugula in a bowl with the olive oil until it looks wilted and darkens.
5. Add the beets and lemon juice and toss. Toss in the feta last, and add salt and pepper to taste. Let salad rest about ten minutes, toss again and serve.

This recipe is from member Jenny Collins.

1 lb fresh beets
1 tbsp oil (I used olive, but canola or grape seed would work just as well)
8 pitted prunes, cut in fine dice
1 small clove garlic, crushed to a paste
1/4 cup walnuts, finely ground (you’re looking for walnut meal here, not walnut butter)
1/2 cup Greek style yogurt (I prefer whole milk yogurt, but low or nonfat will do)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut the stem and root ends off the beets, and cut the large beets in half. You can leave the skins on the beets for now. Place the beets in a pile on a large sheet of foil and toss them with the oil until they are coated. Fold the foil into a packet, sealing the edges tightly. Put the packet of beets into the oven and roast for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the beets are tender. Set the beets aside to cool.

 When the beets have cooled, peel them – the skin should come off very easily – and cut them into 1/4 in dice. Put them in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Serve chilled. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

This and other healthy beet recipes can be found at www.samcooks.com
1 small bunch each of orange and red beets (greens attached)
1 Tbsp. minced shallots
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ cup each, fresh orange juice and cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 orange, peeled and thinly sliced
About 4 ounces crumbled low-fat goat or blue cheese
4 or 5 strands fresh chives, roughly chopped
1. Remove greens and steam beets by placing them, unwashed and in their skins, into the steamer for 35 to 40 minutes, until tender. Time will vary depending on their size.
2. Meanwhile, combine the shallots, cloves orange juice, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
3. As soon as the beets are cool enough to handle, but still quite warm, remove the skins and cut the beets into ¼ inch slices.
4. Wash the beet greens well, then line a platter with the greens. Layer beets, alternating orange and red ones. Pour dressing over everything. Garnish with orange slices. Sprinkle with crumbled goat or blue cheese, and top with chives.

Beetroot Soup

from How to Eat by Nigella Lawson

• 2 or 4 small beetroots (about 725 gm- that’s a little more than 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• buttermilk, yoghurt or smetana (soured heavy cream) optional

1. Put the beetroot in a large pan, cover with cold water and boil for 2 hours.  (maybe an hour and a quarter if they’re small)  Beetroot takes much longer to cook than anyone ever tells you.

2. Scoop out the cooked beetroots (retaining the cooking liquid) with a slotted spoon and gingerly pull off the skins, before putting in a processeor or blender together with the mustard and balsamic vinegar.

3. Puree, adding cooking liquid until the texture is as you like it,

Keep some of the cooking liquid, as the soup will thicken as it sits in the fridge and you may want to thin it out later.  This soup is wonderful with a splash of buttermilk or yoghurt (or more authentically, smetana) as you eat it.  It can also be eaten cold.

Borscht

(taken from the Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins)

• 6 medium beets, peeled
• 10 cups cold water
• juice of 3 lemons
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dairy sour cream (garnish)
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (garnish)

1. Cut beets into halves.  Place them in a soup pot with the 10 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer partially covered until beets are tender, about 30-40 minutes.  Skim foam from cooking liquid as necessary.
2. Remove beets from cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and cool them to room temperature.  Grate the beets and return them to the cooking liquid, along with the lemon juice, sugar and salt.
3. Return to the stove and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let soup cool for 15 minutes.
4. Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl.  Gradually wisk 3 cups of the warm borscht into the eggs and milk.  Pour this mixture back into the remaining borscht slowly.
5. Cover the soup and refridgerate until very cold.  Taste and correct seasoning; the soup should be nicely balanced between sweet and sour.
6. Ladle into chilled soup bowls.  Garnish with sour cream and diced cucmber.  Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 or more portions.

By Salem Depot Member Sandi Peaslee

Here is a recipe I found in the 7/29/09 Boston Globe. I tried it and it was delicious.

• 1 bunch beets, stem ends cut short and leaves removed.
• 1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. (I used vegan mayo and it tasted just fine)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon white or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon capers (I added these to the recipe, so it’s optional)

1. Combine beets in large saucepan with water to cover and large pinch of salt and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size of beets. Test for doneness with a fork.
2. In large bowl that will hold all of the beets, combine the next five ingredients. When beets are done, drain off water and add cold water to the pan. Let beets sit until they are cool enough to slip off the skins with your fingers.

3. Cut the beets into ½-inch wedges and add them to the dressing. Toss well and taste for seasoning. I found they didn’t really need any more salt but I added pepper. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Serve cool or at room temperature. I served them on salad plates on a bed of lettuce.

• beets, 1 bunch.
• 1/2 cup white vineger
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Dill or other spices as desired.

Simmer washed beets for an hour or until tender. Cook and eat the greens separately (here’s a recipe).  Let the beets cool a bit, and slide skins off (or peel before you simmer, either way.)

Mix water, vinegar, salt, and spices together in a glass container – this is your brine. Pack beets into sealable jars and pour the brine over to cover – slice beets if desired.  Seal jars and put in the fridge – give the beets a couple of weeks to “pickle” before eating. These beets should last quite a while in the fridge – months, probably.