Red, White, & Blueberry Cheesecake

3 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
2, 8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 c. confectioner's sugar
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
2 t. vanilla
1-2, 21 oz. can strawberry or cherry pie filling (or fresh strawberries could be used)
1-2 c. fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press firmly into sprayed 9x13 dish. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove and turn off oven. Set aside to cool completely. Beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla together. Fold in cool whip Carefully spread over crust. Spread pie filling on top. Top with blueberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Slice into squares and serve. Yummy!

Italian Kohlrabi Casserole

2-3 kohlrabi, peeled, diced, and boiled until soft
1 lb smoked sausage, cut in small pieces
1 onion, diced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes with oregano, basil, garlic, undrained
1-2 t. Italian seasoning
1 green pepper, chopped
mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz. can, sliced mushrooms, drained
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, except Parmesan. Place in sprayed 9x13 dish. Bake 30 minutes. Add Parmesan, bake 5 minutes more. Serve with tossed salad and cheese bread.

Roasted Kohlrabi

4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled & cubed
1 T. oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Toss kohlrabi in mixture to coat. Spread on parchment paper lined cooking sheet in a single layer. Bake 15-20 minutes until browned. Stir occasionally to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes to melt cheese. Serve immediately.

Garlic Kale

1 bunch kale, chopped into 1" pieces, stems removed
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. olive oil

Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add kale and cover. Cook and stir occasionally until kale is bright green and slightly tender, about 5-7 minutes.

*some people prefer soaking kale in water for 2 minutes before chopping and removing stems. Either method is fine.

How to Blanch Vegetables (for later use)

Kale, swiss chard, rainbow chard, carrots, etc..( just about any kind of vegetable can be blanched)
baking soda, (optional) softenes leafy veggies
salt (optional), works as a preservative, maintains color & flavor
ice bath
paper towels
boiling water
ziploc freezer bags

Remove hard center stems from kale, chard, leafy vegetables. Chop into smaller uniform pieces. Place into boiling water. Add 2-3 t. baking soda and 2 T. salt (if desired) to the pot. Leave in boiling water for 4 minutes. (chard took only 2 minutes) Most veggies take 2-5 minutes. Quickly remove from boiling water and immediately place in bowl of ice water, to prevent further cooking. (This is called shocking) Remove from ice bath and place on paper towels. Squeeze out water and place in freezer bags for later use. I blanched 3 different bunches of kale and they cooked down into an amount small enough for a quart size bag. Place in freezer for later use in soups, stews, slaw, casseroles, etc..

*Blanch different vegetables separately. Start with light colored ones first, then darker ones, as the darker ones will tinge the water and vegetables.

Garlic Pesto

1 c. scapes (they are more delicate than cloves) see picture below
1/2 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. pinenuts or sliced almonds
olive oil
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender until desired consistency. Divide into ice cube trays. Freeze. After completely frozen, remove from trays and place in ziploc bag for later use. Use for soups, stews, pizza, pasta, veggies, or any other time garlic seasoning is needed. May also be placed in a mason jar and covered with olive oil in refrigerator. Use within 1 week.

These are what garlic scapes look like before prepared.

Molten Cinnamon Rolls

2 packs (8 ct) cinnamon roll dough with icing
8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Add the milk and stir until there are no lumps. Freeze cream cheese mixture for about 1 hour until it sets and is frozen but not too hard. Preheat oven to 400°F. Take two cinnamon roll dough packs and press them flat into circles. Scoop out a large spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place it in the center of one of the cinnamon roll dough circles. Fold the edges of the dough up the sides of the cream cheese. Place the other flattened dough circle on top, using a spoon to tuck the edges underneath. Repeat with the remaining dough and cream cheese. Place the sealed dough balls upside down in a 9×9 cake pan with the seams facing upwards. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the rolls are golden brown and puffed. Drizzle the reserved icing on top of the rolls, and serve while warm. Makes 8 stuffed rolls.

Smokey Bacon Cheese Ball

2 c. smoked gouda, softened
2, 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 T. milk
2 T. steak sauce
1 c. chopped bacon (I use Hormel real bacon pieces)
crackers, or triscuits, your choice

Combine all ingredients, except bacon. Shape into a ball. Wrap in saran wrap. Chill overnight. Roll in bacon to coat before serving with crackers or triscuits. Enjoy!

Green Olive Bleu Cheese Ball

8 oz. bleu cheese, softened
2. 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened
6 T. butter
2 T. chopped scallions or chives
1 c. pitted green olives, drained well
1 c. pistachios, optional
crackers, or triscuits, your choice

 Mix all ingredients together, except pistachios. Shape into a ball. Wrap in saran wrap. Chill overnight. Roll in pistachios to coat, if desired. Serve with crackers or triscuits.

Honey Glazed Turnips with Apples

1 bunch turnips (I used hakurei, but baby would work well too), peeled, sliced, reserve greens
1 large apple, or 2-3 small ones (I used Fuji), cut into chunks (I left the peeling on)
2 T. olive oil
3 T. honey

Place turnips and apples in a large skillet. Cover halfway with water. Add oil & honey. Bring to a boil. Cook 3-4 minutes until apples are tender. Continue cooking until liquid is syrupy and turnips are tender. Add turnip greens to skillet if desired and cook over medium heat until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Enjoy!

*These were very tender and flavorful.