At Stonehurst Place we cook with Organic ingredients whenever possible.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 9 oz box frozen shopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
• 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1 cup sliced leeks, I will use a sweet onion or green onions as substitute
• 3 cups cooked ham, diced
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 loaf challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 7 eggs
• 1.5 cups whole mik
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups Italian shredded cheese blend
• Herbs to taste; oregano, basil, parsley, garlic, get creative!

Method

1. Spray 13″ x 9″ (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. You can use individual ramekins, just reduce baking time.

2. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add spinach, bell peppers and leeks; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

3. In baking dish, layer the bread, ham, cooked spinach mixture, and 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese. In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard and pepper with wire whisk until blended; pour over bread. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese and the Italian cheese blend.

Cover with foil; refrigerate at least 4 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

4. Heat oven to 325°F. Bake loosely covered 40 minutes. Uncover; bake about 30 minutes longer or until top is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

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Cook’nWithCaroline Tip:

“Get creative: put anything in it you like! The egg/milk/cheese ratio should stay about the same. You can also make these individual by cooking in a ramekin, spray with Pam, when done, let set about 2 minutes, place saucer on top and flip it, then place plate on top and flip it back over to the real top on the plate. Great served with some kind of fruit.”

At Stonehurst Place we cook with Organic ingredients whenever possible.

• 8 large fresh oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup orange marmelade 1 cup white grape juice
• 1⁄2 cup lemon-lime soda
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted

Method

1. Place orange sections in a large bowl.

2. In a saucepan, combine sugar and marmelade; stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stri in grape juice and soda.

3. Pour sugar mixture over oranges and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Using a slotted spoon, remove oranges to serving dish. Garnish with almonds and coconut, then serve.

Cook’nWithCaroline Tip:  ”Sparkling Oranges are good with some fresh, very ripe mango mixed in for variation.”

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At Stonehurst Place we cook with Organic ingredients whenever possible.

• 2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon, divided
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, fine
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup whole milk whipped cream and mint sprigs, to garnish

Method

1. Blueberry Syrup: In a small saucepan combine 1 cup fresh Organic blueberries, 1/2 cup Organic granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; raise temperature to medium-high and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and crush berries with the back of a spoon; let sit to intensify flavors and cool while you prepare the pancakes. For a smoother syrup, puree in a blender.

2. Pancakes: In a large bowl, thoroughly combine flour, salt, baking soda, sugar and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, combine egg, sour cream and milk; add to flour mixture and stir just enough to combine all ingredients.

3. Add blueberries, gently stirring just enough to mix (but not crush) blueberries.

4. Drop batter onto a hot griddle greased with a little Organic butter. Cook pancakes until small bubbles form; when bubble open or pop flip to second side. Cook until golden on second side, then immediately remove from griddle.

5. To serve, place 3 or 4 on a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle the whipped cream dollop ever so lightly – just barely – with ground nutmeg. Serve with blueberry syrup.

Cook’n With Caroline Note: Recipe may be doubled and batter will keep covered in refrigerator for up to one week.