Baked Ziti

2 bell peppers (any color...I used yellow and red)
1 onion
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups sundried tomatoes in oil
1 can kidney beans
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, diced (or 3-4 garlic scapes, chopped)
penne pasta
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cup shredded asiago
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Boil water and cook penne pasta until tender-crunchy. Drain.

Chop bell peppers and onion. Saute in olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until they start getting soft. Then add the garlic and mushrooms. Saute for 3-5 more minutes.

Put the cooked veggies in a food processor, along with the can of kidney beans (including liquid) and the sundried tomatoes. Process until the mixture is as chunky as you prefer. Mix with the cooked ground beef.

Butter a 13 x9 pan. Put in 1/2 of the pasta, layer with 1/2 of the sauce mixture, asiago cheese, remaining pasta, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, remainder of the sauce mixture, and parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Plum Jam

3 lbs of plums (4 1/2 cups pitted and finely chopped)
1 tbsp cinnamon
7 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch of liquid pectin

Combine plums (finely chopped), cinnamon and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add pectin and continue to boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim foam.

Fill jars following proper aseptic technique.

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath, adjusting for altitude as necessary.

*Recipe adapted from the recipe in the Ball Liquid Fruit Pectin*

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

9 inch pie crust, plus enough pie crust for the top
2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups strawberries, hulled
6 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp orange zest or juice
1 tbsp butter

Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

Puree rhubarb and strawberry together. Ensure the puree is slightly chunky.

Mix flour, sugar and orange juice or zest. Sprinkle over the fruit puree. Stir together lightly.

Pour into 9 inch pie crust. Dot with butter. Top with crust or lattice. If topping with a solid crust, be sure to put a few 1 inch slits in the top.

Bake for 35-45 min. Cover pie with foil for the first half of the baking time so the top of the pie doesn't burn.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream and serve.

Garlic Spaghetti with Kale and Italian Sausage

1 bunch of Kale
a handful of garlic flowers (also called garlic scapes)
two shallots
3 tbsp olive oil (split)
2-3 Italian sausages
4-5 garlic cloves
spaghetti (enough for 4 people)
2 tbsp lemon juice
Parmesan cheese

Wash the kale, leave water on the leaves. Slice kale off stems and ribs. Slice into 1/2 inch strips cross-wise. Chop the garlic flowers into 1/4 inch or smaller pieces. Dice the shallots.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot or pan on medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic flowers and saute for about 3-4 minutes, until shallots become transparent and tender.

Press or dice the garlic cloves and add to the shallots and garlic flowers. Saute for 2-3 more minutes. Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil and the kale. Toss with shallots and garlic and cook until the kale is wilted (about 3-4 minutes). Cover and let cook for about 20 more minutes until the kale is nice and tender. Stir occasionally and add water by the tbsp if the pan dries out. Be sure to have enough steam in the pot to cook the kale.

Begin cooking the Italian sausage. Slice when cooked.

While the kale is cooking down, start boiling the water for the spaghetti. Cook until it has a slight bite and is not quite tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the spaghetti to the pot with the kale mixture and toss. Add the lemon juice, sausage and cooking liquid. Toss and cook for another 5 minutes until noodles are coated and everything is well mixed.

Serve with shredded parmesan cheese.