Last Call

Season's Curtain Call

A fallen leaf is nothing more 
than a summers wave good bye

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Italian Vegetable Cheese Strata

Cook's notes: Recipe adapted from dashrecipes.com

Use a greased 13 x 9 pan-chopped sausage could be added

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup green onion
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach 
• 1 thinly sliced small zucchini
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced mushrooms
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
• 1 TB. Dijon mustard
• 2 TB. parsley flakes
• 1 TB. dried basil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan-Romano cheese 
• 6 eggs
• 2 -cups 2 % milk 
• 3/4 cups half and half
• 1-1/2 loaves of French bread cut in large cubes-about 5-6 cups

Directions:

• Saute onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini in 1 TB. butter for several minutes, add in tomatoes and spinach-mix well and place in colander to drain any juices
• In a blender mix eggs, milk, half and half, parsley, basil and mustard, and Parmesan-Romano cheese  
• In greased pan layer half the bread, half the sauteed vegetable, 1 cup Colby jack cheese and half milk/egg mixture
• Repeat layer and press down to make sure bread cubes are submerged in milk/egg mixture
• Sprinkle rest of Colby-Jack cheese over the top-let sit 20 minutes before baking or  refrigerate overnight 
• Bake 30 minutes covered with foil @ 350
• Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown and puffy 
• Let sit 10 minutes before serving