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

Needed to find something to do with the giants heads of lettuce from the Co-op. Discovered lettuce soup recipes and tweaked it a bit.

• 1 head lettuce, washed well and sliced thin
• 1 small-medium onion, diced
• 1 small-medium turnip, peeled and diced
• 8 cups broth and/or water
• oil or cooking spray

In stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and turnip and saute until onion is soft.

Add broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until turnip is soft. Add lettuce and turn off heat when wilted (will happen quick!).

Remove from heat and puree, using an immersion blender or in batches in regular blender.

Enjoy.

This is wide open for tweaking. I used a 50/50 blend of vegetable broth and water. Most of the recipes I found called for potato but I didn’t have any, hence the turnip, which I found to be much smoother and sweeter than potato. I also added a few cloves of garlic. Different types of onion (or leek, or scallion) will vary the taste. The type of lettuce will make a difference too, I think the greener the better, the red lettuces are a bit too bitter. This was tasty without any herbs, but I think tarragon would be quite nice. Adding mushrooms (maybe enoki) or carrots would also change it up but still be tasty. I’d love to hear what other members do with this.

New Bedford Portugese Kale Soup

submitted by Laurie Barham

• 2 chorizo or linguica sausages, sliced
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 8 cups chicken or pork broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 hot pepper, seeded
• 1/3 tsp paprika
• 1 package frozen, or 1-2 lbs fresh kale
• 3 potatoes, peeled
• 1 can cannelloni beans, drained
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Slice chorizo or linguica and saute in olive oil with onion and garlic.  Do not allow garlic to brown, so add that last.  Sausage does not need to cook.  Add broth and seasonings and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the kale by rinsing thoroughly and tearing the leafy portions from the stems.  Tear into bite size pieces.  Discard the stems.

3. Add kale and potatoes and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

4. Add beans.

5. Serve with Portugese pops (rolls) or Crown Pilot chowder crackers.

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 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.

By Salem Depot Member Susan DameGreene

• 1 bunch carrots
• 2 – 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
• 1/2 cup barley
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the carrots into small pieces, put them in broth with the barley to cook till tender.

2. Cut the tops into small pieces and add to the soup. Cook a few minutes more till tops are tender and serve. The barley makes it a bit thick, which I love.
Makes two or three servings.

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.

From The Best Recipes in the World

by Mark Bittman

The list of ingredients is deceptively short, but the end result is a surprisingly delicious soupy stew. Add a bit of cooked meat or tofu to make a more substantial dish, and try finishing with lemon.

• ½ pound carrots, about two medium, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
• ¾ cup long grain rice, like basmati
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound fresh spinach, thick stems removed, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. minced garlic, optional
• 2 tbsp. butter, optional

1. Combine the carrots with 6 cups of water in a saucepan and turn the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then stir in the rice and a large pinch of salt. When the mixture returns to the boil, add the spinach, then adjust the heat so it simmers gently.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice and carrots are very tender and the mixture takes on the consistency of a thick stew, about 30 minutes. Stir in the garlic and butter, if using, and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating, adding a little more water if necessary.