Using summer's fresh vegetables can be interesting at times. I thought this would be a good way to use some of the things you can get at the market this time of year.

Cheesy Bells

4 bell peppers, any color
1 ear of corn, any variety you like
1/2 cup cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 small onion, chopped

Cornbread:
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Cut the corn off the cob. Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom, wash and lay in a aluminum foil lined pan on their sides like bowls. Mix the cornbread ingredients together, add the corn, onion and cheese to the mixture. You can add chopped hot peppers to the mix if you like, red peppers add a lot of color as well as heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each pepper and bake at 400 degrees till the cornbread is done and slightly browned on top. This goes great with beans, cooked cabbage, salsa or any meat you might like.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. Please tell the people you know who use WIC or Senior vouchers that we are in both locations. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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Every once in a while I like to try something different and I imagine a lot of you do, too. Instead of the same old lemon meringue pie, why not try something a little different. Sweet, juicy cantaloupes are coming in now so this would be a good time to try this pie.

Cantaloupe Meringue Pie

1 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut up 1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 egg yolks
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large (10-inch) graham cracker pie shell

For meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a blender or food processor, process cantaloupe until smooth (you will have about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of pureé). Pour cantaloupe into a mixing bowl; add sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, salt, vanilla and melted butter or margarine. Mix until well blended. Pour into pie shell and place on a baking sheet; bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Top with an even layer of meringue; bake for another 15 minutes.

Meringue: Beat egg whites until soft peaks begin to form; gradually add sugar then vanilla.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. We will also be at the Cave City location on Saturdays again starting August 9th since we have a lot of good, fresh produce coming in. We hope to see you there.

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I once mentioned to a woman at the market that I loved to slice cucumbers and put sour cream on them. I was shocked at her response which was to inform me in no uncertain terms that you only put sour cream on potatoes. I have to admit it is good on potatoes but it is good in a lot of things. It makes cakes have a wonderful taste and where would we be without it on some Mexican dishes? This week I give you two simple recipes, both with sour cream and only one of them has potatoes! But you also have to try those sliced cukes with the sour cream. It is very cool and refreshing.

Skillet Squash

4 slices bacon
2 pounds yellow squash, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsps dried dillweed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Saute squash and onion in reserved drippings until tender. Stir in sour cream and seasonings. Spoon into serving dish; sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

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New Potatoes In Sour Cream Sauce

1 lb. new potatoes
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1 Tsp. chicken broth granules
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tsp. dried or fresh parsley

Scrub new potatoes and cut large ones in half, so they are all about the same size; simmer until tender for about 20 minutes. Drain. In small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Return to heat, stirring occasionally until thick. Stir in chicken broth granules, sour cream and parsley. Heat only long enough to warm the sour cream. Do not let it boil. Place potatoes in a serving bowl; pour the sauce over them. Serves 4

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. We will also be at the Cave City location on Saturdays again starting August 9th since we have a lot of good, fresh produce coming in. We hope to see you there.

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I talked about cucumbers last week and how good they were with sour cream. Here's another way to use them you might not think of. You are used to red tomato catsup and green tomato catsup but have you ever tried cucumber catsup?

Cucumber Catsup

1 quart chopped cucumbers. after peeling and removing centers
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
dash teaspoon pepper

Put first three ingredients through your food processor and process until pureed. Cook in saucepan about 10-15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cook till thickened, stirring often. You can add hot peppers instead of bell pepper if you wish. Pour into sterilized jars, wipe lip and place sterile lid and seal on top and process 10 minutes for half pints and 15 minutes for pints. Check to make sure seal is complete after they cool. You can also add a chopped, peeled and cored apple to give it a slightly different taste.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. We hope to see you there. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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There's plenty of good things coming in now including eggplant and peppers. Lots of people stuff peppers with meat but this recipe calls for an eggplant stuffing.

Eggplant Stuffed Peppers

2 lg Asian or Italian eggplant, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tb oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup cheese, grated
1/2 lb cheese, sliced
Parmesan cheese, grated
Pepper to taste
Parsley
Seasoned tomato sauce
4 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and parboiled

Saute pieces of eggplant in the oil with the minced garlic until the eggplant is very soft. Stir in the bread crumbs until moistened. Add the grated cheese, pepper and parsley. Fill parboiled peppers halfway with the eggplant mixture and put a slice of cheese in each center. Cover with more of the eggplant mixture. Place in baking pan with 1/2 cup water and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Sprinkle top with fresh Parmesan cheese, top with herbed tomato sauce. Bake another 10 - 15 minutes or till heated through.

We have a new member in the market, John's Custom Meats. They are well known throughout this area and also around Bowling Green. They grow and process their own USDA meats. They have a Kentucky Proud butcher shop. You might want to check them out. They are at the market on Fridays in Cave City and Tuesdays in Glasgow. For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. We hope to see you there. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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Before those delicious farmers' market tomatoes are gone or just for a light summer meal, you might like to try this salad. It is kind of like a BLT in a bowl. You could make a whole meal out of it or use it as a side dish when cooking out. If you like, you can multiply this as many times as you wish and it will go well at potlucks, too.

Heirloom Tomato, Bread and Bacon Salad

3 tbsp olive oil - divided
1 garlic clove, smashed
3-4 slices crusty bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 bacon strips
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup diced mozzarella
Shredded lettuce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic clove and bread cubes. Toss over medium-high heat, turning frequently until bread cubes are browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Discard garlic. Fry bacon in same skillet until crisp. Remove and drain, then crumble. Core and dice tomatoes. Arrange in high pile on dinner plate or serving bowl on top of shredded lettuce. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil and pour over salad. Sprinkle with bread cubes. This is also good with chopped, boiled eggs.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. We hope to see you there. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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There are lots of fresh picked local apples coming in now at the market. This recipe is easy and so good, too. It makes a large pan and can be taken to pot lucks or family reunions etc.

Apple Noodle Pudding

6 eggs, well beaten
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 stick melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup raisins
4 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 pound medium wide noodles, cooked and strained
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2 inch pan. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar until blended. Gently fold in the raisins, sliced apples, and cooked noodles. Pour the mixture into the greased pan, spreading evenly. Bake 1 hour and twenty minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before cutting into squares. Can be served cold or at room temperature. Bill likes this at room temperature with whipped topping and an extra shake or two of cinnamon.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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The sweeter varieties of apples are coming in now. Golden delicious, Jonathan and Gala are just a few of the great tasting apples available right now. This recipe is good on those chilly days coming up. Nice and hot from the oven with a mixture of sweet and savory tastes, what is better than that? You can get the apples and the sausage from the market as well as the onions and garlic.

Sausage-Stuffed Baked Apples

1 pound sausage - your choice
2 tbsps minced onion
3 tbsps packed brown sugar
1 minced garlic clove
8 slices of bacon
8 apples

If using hot Italian sausage, you may wish to omit the garlic. Brown sausage, add garlic and onion. Stir for 3-4 minutes until onion begins to turn light brown and is softened. Drain thoroughly. Wash and core but do not peel the apples. Stuff the cored apples with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar and top with the bacon slices which have been chopped into small pieces. Put into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes or until apples are soft.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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It is starting to get cooler and that makes you think of making some slow cooked meals that will warm you down to your toes. This recipe can be put in a crockpot and left all day while you go to work or run errands. Serve with mashed potatoes or cooked rice, some crusty bread and you have a hearty meal.

Crockpot Short Ribs

4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 1-rib portions
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups carrots chunks
3 ribs celery, cut in chunks
1 large onion, cut in chunks
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) mushroom soup

Sprinkle short ribs with salt and pepper and flour. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add short ribs and brown well on all sides. Pour off fat and put the ribs in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. You can also substitute stew beef in this recipe. Serves 4 to 6.

You can get the beef for this recipe at the market and also more ideas for good things to eat or you can visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html.

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A nice way to start your morning would be with this cheesy apple spread. Make it the night before and let it set overnight to let the flavors blend together. It is low sugar since you use honey and can be low fat if you use low fat cream cheese.

Spiced Apple Cheese Spread

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup finely diced apple
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
2 tbsps honey
2 tbsps milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

In a small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients until well blended. Refrigerate, covered, 1-2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Store in refrigerator up to one week, take out of refrigerator about half an hour before serving to allow to come to room temperature. Cheese is always better at room temp. Good on bagels, toast, biscuits or waffles.

For more ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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I made these cookies for the first time several years ago after Bill had told me that he didn't like molasses. I was going to sell them at the market but Bill ate most of them so I said to him, "I thought you didn't like molasses." He said, "that was molasses?" It's molasses time again and I made a batch of these last week. They are so good. You use regular molasses or sorghum as it is called. The darker molasses they call blackstrap is used in cattle feed more than anything else. It is very strong and nasty. It is the "leavings" after 3 cookings so it is thick and potent. A lot of people think syrup is added to molasses. That's not true, it wouldn't be cost effective as they would have to buy it to add it. If you ever do get hold of a bad batch of sorghum, it is because the person cooking it didn't know what they were doing. But I have yet to have any that was bad from this area. Try these and you will want more.

Pat's Molasses Cookies

1 cup shortening
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp soda
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each allspice and cloves
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
4 3/4 c flour (sifted)
3/4 cup double strength cold coffee

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together first 7 ingredients, blend in molasses. Beat in egg. Add sifted flour alternately with coffee. Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. I also added slivered almonds to the tops before baking and they were great. Bake 15 minutes or until done. Makes about 5 dozen. For more recipe ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html

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Sweet potatoes are a vegetable that is highly underrated but is very versatile. They are high in fiber, something a lot of people don't get near enough of and they are delicious. This recipe uses cherries but you can also use cranberries or other fruits if you like. This goes extremely well with pork. This would also be a good time to bake a pan of cornbread to go with your meal while the oven is on, it will take a little longer at this temperature but it will save energy and money when you cook more than one dish at the same time.

Scalloped Sweet Potato with Cherries

3 1/2 lb cooked sweet potatoes, sliced
1 can tart cherries, drained
1 tbsp margarine
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
4 tbsp margarine
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 lb marshmallows

Grease a 9 X 13 X 2-inch baking pan with the margarine and add the sweet potatoes and cherries. Combine the remaining ingredients except the marshmallows in a pot and cook until it is a thin syrup. Pour the syrup over the sweet potatoes and cherries. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until the syrup is thick. Just before serving top with the marshmallows and return to the oven to brown. You can also add chopped nuts to the top before pouring the syrup over.

For more recipe ideas or other information, visit us at the market on Fridays and Saturdays in Cave City or in Glasgow on Tuesdays. We will be at the market until the end of October as always. You can also visit our website: www.rebelhome.net/ccrfm.html