lentil barley stew (especially for John Good!)

5 cups water
¾ cup lentils
¾ cup barley
tomatoes to taste- 2-4 large fresh, or 15-30 oz canned
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp rosemary
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 carrots

Simmer 60 minutes.

Zucchini, from Mary Margaret

4 Med. sized squash or zucchini
6 T mayo
½ c Milk
2/3 c Sharp cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs

Cook vegetables in small amount of water and drain well. (don’t overcook)
Combine remaining ingredients (except crumbs) stir over low heat till cheese is melted and sauce thickens
Put squash in greased casserole dish, pour sauce over all and breadcrumbs on top.
Heat in oven for a few min.

stuffed tomatoes, from Mary Margaret

½ c Cream Cheese ( or soft goat cheese)
½ c Gooda Cheese (grated)
½ c parmasean or Romano (grated)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp sundried tomatoes (soaked in warm water and cut up)
1 ½ c bread crumbs
2 T basil
2 T olive oil
black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
Slice off tops of tomatoes
Spoon out centers, being sure to leave enough of the sides so the tomato keeps its shape.
Stuff tomatoes
Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 min. Until stuffing is browned and cheese is melted.
Left over stuffing can be used as a stir in for pasta. A little more oil should be added if this is what you will do with it.

stuffed peppers, from Mary Margaret

1 pkg corn bread mix plus ingredients for preparation
8 green or red bell peppers blanched
1 pepper diced in food processor
1 lg. onions finely diced in food processor
1 tsp olive oil
1 lg. can tomatoes, no salt added
1 pkg. frozen whole kernal corn, thawed and drained
½ can olives, drained diced in food processor
1/3 c raisins
1 T chili powder
1 tsp ground sage ( or bells poultry seasoning)
1 c shredded Montery Jack

Prepare corn bread according to pkg. directions
let cool, break into pieces
Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees
Slice tops off 8 peppers, remove seeds, and blanch peppers and tops by boiling for 1-2 min and rinse with cold water.
In med. frying pan sautee onion in oil, add 2 T water, if neededuntil onions are golden brown.
Add diced pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes
Remove from heat.
In large mixing bowl, combine tomatoe, corn, olives, raisins, spices, onions and peppers, ¾ c. cheese, corn bread.
Stuff peppers with filling
Top with remaining cheese
Bake 30-40 min
Garnish with cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs
You can make another corn bread and add 1 chili pepper finely diced to the box’s recipe.

Cranberry salsa and Apple and beet salad, from Mary Margaret Corcoran

Cranberry Salsa.... a favorite around here....
12 ounces fresh cranberries, chopped (you'll want to see if you can still get these, they are usually only around for the holidays)
8 ounces crushed pineapple in juice, drained well
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons onion, finely chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. cover and chill at least twohours to let the flavors blend. Serve with chips or your favorite meat.Yield: about 3 cups.Enjoy!

Apple & Beet Salad
1c yogurt
1T olive oil
2 T leomon juice
few sprigs of mint
few stems of cilantro
(wisk these ingredients together in med. bowl and drizzle over the following)
1 lb beets (cooked to just al dante' and grated or julienned)
1-2 lg. apples grated or julienned