Bacon Wrapped Dates

Thank you pinch of yum for this great recipe. They were good the next day; cold on a hike! Easy, great appetizer that guest will woo and ahhh over...

Ingredients:

• bacon, the thinnest you can find, 8 slices
• dates, the largest you can find, 16
• cherve of your choice, 4 ounces
• toothpicks

Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. Experiment with this; as I started low and bumped up cause I like my bacon well done.

Slice the dates lengthwise to create an opening and remove the pit.

Stuff the cavity of the dates with a small amount of cherve and press sides together to close.

Cut the bacon in half and wrap around the stuffed dates.

Arrange on a shallow baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake until bacon is of desired crispness. 

Drain on paper towels.

Insert each morsel with a toothpick and serve.

Cuisinart Green Chili Sauce

No kitchen should not be without a hand-held blender. This recipe has a much different texture than my original Green Chili recipe (April 12, 2003 label: sauces). The picture above is not the finished product; as I had not yet taken the hand blender to it... The flavor was amazing. However, any green chili sauce is as good as the roasted chiles of that particular season. We typically buy a bushel and freeze them for use throughout the year. I find the chili skins come off easier once they are frozen and then thawed. Green Chili Sauce is good on just about anything or a great base for a hearty winter soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound Anaheim chiles, roasted, skin, membrane and seeds removed)
• 1 small onion, cubed
• 5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, maybe omited if green chiles are spicy
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon flour, I used 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bunch chopped cilantro
• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:

Melt butter in a large stock pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and saute for 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the green chiles and chopped cilantro.

Add the flour and stir and cook 2 minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. 

Add the salt and reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Insert the blender in a protective area (I do this in my sink) and blend until of desired consistency.

Christine's Quiche

The Boulder Farmer's Market is at it's peak and I am a sucker for patty pan squash. We are leaving for the British Isles soon and thought I would concoct a dish to freeze with the patty pan purchase, the leftover goat cheese and cream cheese (that I bought too much of for a cheesecake). I decided to add Boulder Sausage's hot Italian Sausage; to add to kick and substance. Will be great heated up and served with a soup and salad.

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs, beaten till creamy
• 4 small patty pan squash
• 12 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1 pound Hot Italian sausage
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 ounces cherve of choice, crumbled
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Slice the patty pan lengthwise into thick slices. Brush both sides with a light coating of olive oil and place on a shallow baking sheet.
Roast at 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Turn the slice over and roast an additional 5 minutes.

Once cooled cut into small cubes.

In a skillet brown the Italian sausage. Using a paper towel, dab up excess fat from the cooked sausage. Add the cream cheese and incorporate until smooth. Add the spinach, patty pan, cherve and feta cheeses. Stir until mixture is combined.

Grease a 13x9-inch glass baking pan and add the Italian sausage mixture and smooth out evenly.

Add the beaten eggs.

Bake at 350-degree oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Watermelon Salad with Balsamic Reduction

This is yum! A refreshing summer salad that is super simple. Thank you damndelicious.net!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 small seedless watermelon cut into cubes (I cheated and bought mine pre-cubed)
• 4 ounces goat cheese

In a small saucepan combine balsamic and brown sugar. Place over medium heat until reaches a slight boil. Reduce by half; 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To serve drizzle reduction over watermelon and add crumbled goat cheese.