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

By Dr. Owen Mathieu, Marblehead Depot

It’s Sunday morning, and in our household, if we’re in town, and not in the office, that means PANCAKES! I’ve been drooling since last Thursday at the prospect, since picking  up the beautiful perfectly round wild blueberries we got in our fruit share at Co-op.  To what finer purpose could one appoint these plump little gems?  I thought you, and perhaps members, might enjoy the recipe I developed for what I call Dr. Owen’s Pretty Healthy Pancakes.  The family calls them Dad’s Tearjerkers, becauselegend has it that when I first “perfected” the recipe and made them, I was practically in tears.

Serves four people, or about 20 four-inch cakes

• Dry Bowl:  Sift together -
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt

• Wet Bowl:  Mix together -
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 (1/2 cup) Egg beaters (or similar egg white product)
• 3 TBSP. honey
• 3 TBSP. canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Pour wet into dry and mix until everything is wet, but some lumpiness remains.  If you let it sit a while the pancakes get thicker and fluffier.

2) When your griddle is prepared and you’re ready to cook, add (all more or less to taste, of course) either: 2 bananas thin sliced, 1 cup blueberries, or 1 cup room temperature cooked corn kernels.

3) The batter will be quite thick. I drop it into the pan from a large spoon, a little less than a quarter cup at a time, and shape them on the pan with the back of the spoon.  Also, these will not form bubbles to signal they’re ready to be turned.  You just have to watch and peek underneath until you’ve cooked a few.   If you don’t have fruit in the batter, it keeps nicely in the fridge for next Sunday.

4) Finally, for an over-the-top low glycemic addition, chop a handful walnuts and add the pieces to some maple syrup, warming the mixture a little in the microwave.  As James Brown might have said, “Good Gawd!”

By Salem Depot Member Michele Brown

I read in the last newsletter that people were unsure about some of the more unusual offerings from our Coop. Recipezaar.com is a great resource. I found a bunch of great recipes for kohlrabi last year. This year I’ve been making green smoothies from the lettuce. Here’s the recipe:

• 8 leaves lettuce
• 1/4 cup juice (whatever you have on hand)
• Handful of frozen strawberries, mango or banana
• Yogurt or silken tofu to taste
• Squirt of honey or flavored coffee creamer

1. Puree lettuce and juice in a blender.

2. Add remaining ingredients and process to desired consistency. The frozen fruit keeps it cold and thickens it up. Yummy!

By Salem Depot Member Leah McCoy

• 2-3 peaches
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• small hunk of ginger (to taste)
• about half the tops from a bunch of carrots (maybe a third of the blender, packed)

Fill blender about half full with water. Blend and enjoy!