Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup    

3 T butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 ½ C celery, finely chopped
2 T curry
1 T dried thyme
3 C chicken broth
2 C canned pumpkin
1 C unsweetened applesauce
¼ C applejack, Apple Brandy or Calvados, optional

Melt butter, add onion and cook until transparent, about 2 minutes Add celery and cook until tender, about 4 minutes more. Stir in curry and thyme.

Mix in broth, pumpkin and applesauce. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add brandy, if using. Add salt and pepper to taste, simmer another 10 minutes.

Blueberry-Lemon Bread

Blueberry Lemon Bread, because there are never enough ways to use blueberries.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen, thawed, drained

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter with 1 cup sugar in large bowl until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon peel. Mix in dry ingredients alternatively with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring remaining 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice to boil in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Pierce top of hot loaf several times with toothpick. Pour hot lemon mixture over loaf in pan. Cool 30 minutes in pan on rack. Turn bread out of pan and cool completely on rack.

Tuscan Terrine

Tuscan Terrine features tomatoes, zucchini and other plentiful summer vegetables.

2 large jars roasted red peppers
2 large zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 large tomatoes
1 head garlic
2 large white onions
1 small yellow onion
1 lb button mushrooms
¼ C olive oil
4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
Fresh basil, oregano and thyme

Roast the bulb of garlic in a 400 degree oven until soft.  Coarse chop herbs.  Allow cream cheese to soften.  Combine herbs, roasted garlic, and cream cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Thinly slice the zucchini and yellow length wise.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Roast in a 400 degree oven until the veggies begin to soften.  Roast and peel and seed red peppers.  Thinly slice mushrooms and sauté in olive oil until; golden brown.  Slice thinly the tomatoes. Spray a loaf pan with vegetable spray.  Line the pan with plastic wrap.  Begin layering.  Alternate the layers of veggies with the cream cheese mixture.  Serve with roasted red pepper vinaigrette.