Chapel’s Zucchini and Squash Casserole

Premium cheeses made by hand with fresh-from-the-cow milk make this a perfect addition to any meal with friends and family. This featured recipe from our farm's kitchen is a zucchini and squash casserole with cheese that makes a great summer casserole with all the goodies from your garden, or your local farmer's market. This recipe has been handed down for generations in our family, but never written down until now.

• 2-3 small green zucchini cut into thin round slices
• 2-3 small yellow squash cut into thin round slices
• 1 large onion cut in 1/2 then sliced thin
• 2 large tomatoes sliced thin
• 1/4 lb grated Chapel cheddar cheese
• 1/4 lb grated Chapel garlic and chive cheese

Serves 4 to 6

Pre heat oven to 350, then slice and grade all of the above ingredients.

Greese a large baking or casserole dish and layer the ingredients likewise, zucchini then tomato, Chapel's cheese, onion, squash, then repeat until all the ingredients have been used.

You can subsitute the vegetables, and the cheeses, like using Chapel's cheddar or crab cheese. Also, you can add lean, browned, ground beef to the layers to have a complete meal. Bake for 1/2 -1 hour, depending on the depth of the baking dish.

Chapel's Cheese Medley and Puff Pastry Omelet

Our Cheese Medley and Puff pastry omelet was featured in the May/June 2006 issue of Maryland Life Magazine. Our artisanal cheeses made by hand with fresh-from-the-cow milk make this a perfect dish for a country brunch or light luncheon with the whole family.

• 1 lb. fresh spinach
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 lb. commercial puff pastry, thawed and divided
• 8 eggs
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Add salt to your taste
• 2 tablespoon plus 2 tsp. butter or margarine, divided
• 1½ c. (6 oz.) shredded Chapel’s Country Creamery Talbot Reserve cheese
• 1½ c. (6 oz.) shredded Chapel’s Country Creamery Garlic & Chive cheese
• 12 oz. thinly sliced ham, divided
• 1 egg, beaten
• Fresh spinach leaves
• Fresh parsley sprigs
• Freshly snipped chives

Serves 6 to 8

Remove stems from spinach; wash leaves in lukewarm water. Drain and set aside.

Sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a Dutch oven. Remove garlic, reserving drippings in pan. Add spinach, 1/8 tsp. salt, and pepper, stirring gently. Cover and cook over high heat 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and press between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Line a greased 8-inch round pan with one sheet of puff pastry, leaving a half-inch overhang; set aside. Cut remaining sheet of puff pastry into a 9-inch circle; cover with a damp cloth and set aside.

Combine 8 eggs and ? teaspoon salt; beat well. Heat an 8-inch omelet pan or heavy skillet over medium heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add 2 tsp. butter, and rotate pan to coat bottom. Pour about one-fourth of egg mixture into pan. As mixture starts to cook, gently lift edges of omelet with a spatula, and tilt pan so uncooked portion flows underneath. Cook until eggs are set and top is still moist and creamy. Loosen omelet with spatula; transfer to pastry-lined pan. Repeat procedure for the second, third, and fourth omelet, transferring omelets to wax paper. Set aside.

Over omelet in pan, layer as follows: one-third of spinach, ? cup cheese, one-third of ham, ? cup cheese. Top with second omelet and the same amounts of remaining layered ingredients. Top with third omelet and remaining layered ingredients; top with remaining omelet.

Top with pastry circle; seal well, crimping edges, if desired. Make indentations in pastry with knife, dividing pie into 6 or 8 portions; brush top with beaten egg.

Position oven rack in lower third of oven; bake at 350o for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Remove from pan and place on serving platter lined with spinach leaves. Decorate top with parsley sprigs and snipped chives. Serve immediately so pastry will maintain its puff.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

When I tasted Chapel's cave-aged cheddar cheese, I knew I had to break out the George Foreman grill, perfect for making grilled cheese sandwiches. Champagne grapes provide just the right touch of sweetness to balance the sharpness of the cave aged cheese.

• 1/2 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
• 2 slices of sandwich bread
• 2 ounces thinly sliced Chapel's cave aged cheddar cheese or Chapel Bay Blue or Talbot Reserve
• A few thinly sliced red onions
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons of champagne grapes

Serves 1

Pre heat your George Foreman grill to medium or preheat a skillet over medium heat. Butter each slice of bread on one side. On a plate, lay one slice of bread with the butter side down and place cheese slices on the top, making sure the cheese does not hang over the edge of the bread. Place the red onion slices evenly over the cheese and top with a sprinkle of salt and the grapes. Place the other slice of bread on top.

Cheddar Ale Soup

This recipe was submitted to us by Chris Furman of Pennyslvania. Chris's recipe for cheddar ale soup is a tasty mix of our Chapel cave aged cheddar, regular cheddar, crab spice cheddar combined with your favorite ale beer. This soup is perfect for lunch on those cold afternoons.

• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 carrots, peeled, finely diced
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 (12 oz.) bottle of your favorite ale
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tsp. dry mustard
• 8 oz. Chapel Cave Aged cheddar cheese, grated
• 8 oz. Chapel cheddar or Chapel colby, grated
• 4 oz. Chapel crab cheddar, grated

Serves 4 to 6

In a stockpot, med-low heat, melt butter. Add onion, celery, carrots, cook until very soft (10-15 min).

Stir in flour; cook 3-5 minutes. Increase heat to med-high; whisk in milk and chicken stock. Bring to near boil, reduce to simmer; cook, stirring often, until thickened.

Puree until smooth in blender (or with immersion blender); strain through fine mesh sieve.

Return to pot; set over medium heat. Add ale, Worchershire sauce and mustard; simmer 5 min.

Whisk in cheese 1/2 cup at a time, melting each addition before adding more. Do not boil.

Season with salt and cayenne to taste.