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

(“From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce,” 3rd Edition)

• 2 lbs. Green beans, stem ends snipped off
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced as thinly as possible
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 ½ Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Drain; immerse in ice water. Drainagain and let stand to dry.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium flame. Stir in onions and cook then slowly until very wilted and deepened in color, about 15 minutes.
3. Boil stock in a saucepan until reduced to ¼ cup; stir in sugar and vinegar. Stir in onions. Simmer until slightly reduced.
4. Combine onions and green beans; heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

By Manager Julie Pottier-Brown

When I had an impromptu cook-out on Sunday with two other families, I found I had all these ingredients from the last two weeks of the FDC. I was able to throw together a beautiful salad:

• 1 can red kidney beans (Trader Joe’s)
• 3 small white turnips – chopped
• 1 red radish – chopped
• 1 carrot – chopped
• about a 1/3 of a bunch parsley – chopped
• 1/2 a fresh onion – chopped
• 1/2 small cucumber – chopped

Toss, add dressing, enjoy!  I usually use a Dijon mustard/lime or lemon juice/vinegar/cumin dressing that I concoct on the spot, so it is different each time. I added a few potatoes for the grill, beets and green beans as well.  With what my friends provided, we had quite a feast.

By Karen Yates, Melrose Depot Member

Adapted from “The Complete Book of Soups and Stews,” by Bernard Clayton Jr.

I never knew how much flavor was lurking inside a corn cob until I tried this recipe. Cutting the kernels off of a corn cob can be a bit tricky, so try this: leave the stem on the corn after you shuck it. Holding the cob by the stem end, place the other end against the bottom of a deep bowl. Use a small, sharp knife to slice the down the cob, rotating as you go. Then turn the knife over and use the flat side to scrape the bits of remaining corn kernels and “milk” into the bowl.

• 5 ears corn
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3 medium or 2 large potatoes (red-skinned or Yukon Gold), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 16-ounce can tomatoes or 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups milk or light cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped fresh parsley or green onions to garnish

1.  Cut the kernels off of the corn cobs. There should be about 3 cups.
2.  Break the corn cobs in half and place them in a large pot. Add 1 of the onion halves, bay leaf, and enough water to just cover the cobs. Boil for about 20 minutes, then strain the broth. Measure and add water, if needed, to make 3 cups.
3.  Chop the other half of the onion into small pieces (~1/4″). Puree ~2 cups of the corn in a food processor or blender (add a little water if needed to make a rough puree).
4.  Melt the butter in a 3-4 quart pot and add the chopped onion. Cook until softened, then stir in the garlic. Add the corn cob stock, potatoes, tomatoes, and baking soda. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are almost tender – about 10 minutes.
5.  Add the pureed and whole-kernel corn and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the milk and heat gently until steam rises from the surface – do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley or green onions.

Marblehead Depot member Nicole Grazado loves experimenting with new recipes to cajole her kids into trying different foods. She adapted this recipe from Epicurious.com, and says it gets rave reviews from family and coworkers alike.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 cup flour
• 3 cups fat free milk
• 2 cups smoked gouda, shredded
• 1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. cooked pasta
• 1 lb. chard
• 6-8 crackers crumbled

1) Melt butter in large saucepan. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to simmer, whisking occasionally while it thickens. Add nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add cheese and stir until all is melted. Remove from heat.
2) Cook chard in large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove using slotted spoon and chop. Cook pasta in same water used for chard. Drain pasta and add to cheese mixture.
3) Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of pasta mixture in dish, top with chopped cooked chard and then cover with remaining pasta mixture. Top with crumbled crackers (or breadcrumbs of your choice).
4) Cook at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until bubbly. Enjoy!!

By Salem Depot Member Perry McIntosh

This year I am on a quest to use “everything but the squeal,” so I poked around for ideas for carrot greens. I found this recipe online, from Lela Davidson on Hubpages.com, which I used as a base to make a white bean soup. Note: remember to cut the greens off before you store the carrots, because they will continue to draw moisture out of the root.

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 small carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup short grain rice or 2 lbs. cubed potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot tops
• 4 tbsp. fresh grated parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 5 minutes over low heat until translucent. Add salt and pepper, and pour in broth. Bring to a boil.

2. Add rice and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost tender. Add the carrot tops and cook for 5 more minutes, mixing well.
3. When rice is tender, pour soup into four bowls. Sprinkle with cheese.