I saw some of the first blueberries in a grocery store last week. This means that this is the ideal time to pamper your family some morning with Blueberry Pancakes. And if you make them from scratch rather than just using a mix, they are so much better. This particular recipe is from The Best I Ever Tasted by Margaret J. Galbreath, a chef and caterer from eastern North Carolina.

Serves 4

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Combine milk, egg, and sour cream in a bowl and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add flour mixture to milk mixture. Beat just until large lumps disappear. Stir in butter. Fold in blueberries. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake into a hot lightly greased skillet. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles.

Makes 12 pancakes.

Have a Safe and Happy  Summer Vacation!

The next time you decide to grill hamburgers for your family, give them a different taste. These Cajun Burgers are guaranteed to make your family sit up and take notice that you are not feeding them the same old hamburger. I especially like these served open faced on a slice of buttered sourdough bread.

Serves 6

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 green bell pepper, minced

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

2 large cloves garlic finely diced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoons ground oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

2 dashes Tabasco, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Shape into 6 patties. Prepare grill for medium heat. Grill burgers 5-8 minutes per side, or to taste.

Serve on toasted buns or thick slices of crusty French or sourdough bread with sour cream and sliced onions.

When zucchini squash come in they seem to do it all at once and you find yourself scrambling for different ways to prepare them. This baked casserole is delicious and very easy. The refrigerator pickles are tasty and a good thing to do with some of the excess squash. This recipe would also work with small yellow squash.

Serves 2

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Butter a 1 quart baking dish.

Combine all ingredients and transfer to baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until set.

Serves 24

2 pounds small zucchini squash

2 small onions

1/4 cup salt

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon turmeric

Wash squash, slice thinly. Wash onions, peel, and slice thinly. Cover with ice water in which you have dissolved the salt. You will need enough water to cover the squash-onion mixture. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain the mixture and place in jars. Mix vinegar, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, and turmeric and heat just enough to dissolve sugar. Pour over squash. Refrigerate until ready to serve. These will keep for weeks in the refrigerator.

This Black Russian Pie is a good dessert to prepare ahead and pull out of your refrigerator and serve during these hot summer days. If you want to intensify the chocolate flavor, try using one of the prepared chocolate wafer crusts available at the grocery store.

Serves 8

1 (4½ ounce) package of instant chocolate pudding

1 cup milk

1½ cups whipped topping, thawed

1/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans

2 tablespoons Kahlua

2 tablespoons Crème de Cacao

1 pie shell, baked

Prepare instant pudding with the milk. Blend in the whipped topping and nuts. Fold in the Kahlua and Crème de Cacao. Spoon into the prepared pie shell. Chill for several hours before serving.

Fried chicken is something you always expect to see included in a picnic menu. But when it is hot and muggy I like to have my cake and eat it too -- in other words, eat the chicken without the cleanup and bother involved in frying it.

My daughter Margaret suggested that I try this recipe for "June Taylor Chicken Legs" from the Nantucket OPEN HOUSE COOKBOOK by Sarah Leah Chase, a chef and caterer on Nantucket Island. Chase relates that she is astounded that these chicken legs are one of the most popular items in her store and one of the easiest to prepare. She thinks of the legs as a chorus line so she can laugh about it as she prepares tray after tray of these.

We enjoyed this recipe and I have fixed it several times. I prefer to prepare my own breadcrumbs rather than using commercial ones. Include these in your 4th of July menu.

20 to 24 chicken drumsticks

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup dry white wine

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

1½ cups fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the drumsticks in rows on a large baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush each drumstick lightly with oil. Whisk the mustard and wine together in a small bowl and brush this mixture generously over each drumstick. Sprinkle the drumsticks with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over all the drumsticks.

Bake the drumsticks for 50-60 minutes. Cover the drumsticks with aluminum foil if they seem to be getting too brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Corn and Black Bean Salad has been a favorite of mine for years and I am always trying a different way to prepare this dish. I particularly liked this version of the salad that uses fresh corn. I think I will use this particular recipe for a while.

If you have some good tomatoes, try adding a little chopped tomato or halved cherry tomatoes just before you serve this.

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 ears sweet corn

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon taco or fajita seasoning mix

In a saucepan bring 2 quarts water to boil. Add corn and cook, covered for 5 minutes; drain. When corn is cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs with a sharp knife.

In a large bowl whisk together cilantro, lime juice, seasoning mix and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add corn, beans, peppers and onion; mix until well coated. Serve salad at room temperature or cover and refrigerate to serve later.

If you wish add some diced tomato just before serving.

Local fresh tomatoes are available now and nothing tastes much better. Try preparing and serving some this way. I think you will enjoy them -- if they are too spicy for you, just reduce or eliminate the red pepper.

6 large ripe, firm tomatoes, skinned and quartered

1 large green pepper, cut into strips

1 red onion, sliced into rings

3/4 cup vinegar

1½ teaspoon celery salt

1½ teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

4½ teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon red pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup cold water

Place all ingredients except first three in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Immediately pour over the first three ingredients. Cool. Serve as a cold vegetable.

Tomatoes given this treatment will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Fresh peaches are a treat that I look forward to each summer. I think this Peach Refrigerator Cake is a wonderful way to use some of this fruit. It is cool and refreshing and has to be done ahead which is always a plus. If I don't have crystallized ginger on hand I just eliminate that ingredient.

Serves 8

1/2 pound marshmallows

1/2 cup good quality orange juice

3 ounces ginger ale

1 cup whipping cream whipped

1 sponge cake or lady fingers

8 fresh peaches, sliced

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped, or to taste (optional)

Cut marshmallows in quarters.

This recipe for Lemon-Mustard Grilled Chicken Breasts is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken. And don't worry if you have leftovers, they make delicious sandwiches served in a good quality hamburger bun.

Serves 6

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in a non-metallic shallow dish. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours. Prepare grill for medium heat. Grill breasts 8-10 minutes per side, basting frequently. Serve with wedges of lemon.

While you still have some fresh local tomatoes available, try this slightly fancy, but easy way to stuff and bake this vegetable. If you prefer, you can use 8 ounces of canned mushrooms, but fresh are really better.

Serves 8

8 tomatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/8 cup parsley, chopped

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sliced sautéed fresh mushrooms

1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

Cut and core the stem end of tomatoes and discard. Scoop out the pulp, taking care with the shells. Save the pulp. Melt the butter in a large skillet; add onion and parsley and cook until onion is tender. Add the reserved tomato pulp, bread crumbs, basil salt and drained mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Swiss cheese and stir until melted. Spoon the mixture into tomato shells. Place in a shallow, lightly greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

This Cheese Sauce for Baked Potatoes brings back memories of special meals at the Ranch House, a steak restaurant, in Chapel Hill. When I was in school, I thought this was the best place to eat. With this topping your potatoes should taste very much like ones you remember from eating at this steak house.

Serves 8

1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

3 green onions, minced, including a little of the green

8 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Mix first 4 ingredients together and chill. When ready to serve, spoon over hot, baked potatoes. Sprinkle with crisp and crumbled bacon.

This Gazpacho Salad is a wonderful way to use some of the fresh vegetables that are available now. It makes a nice change from your standard tossed salad and with the Swiss cheese and hard-boiled eggs, can almost serve as a light dish for lunch.

Serves 6

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 medium cucumbers, sliced (sprinkle with salt and let stand

for 30 minutes)

6 small yellow squash, sliced

10 medium mushrooms, sliced

4 green onions, sliced

3 large tomatoes, sliced in wedges

1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced

2 slices Swiss cheese cut into thin strips

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

In a large bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Pat cucumbers dry and add to oil mixture with squash, mushrooms and green onions. Top mixture with minced parsley and mix gently. Add layer of 3 large tomatoes cut in wedges and 1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Before serving add Swiss cheese and hard-boiled eggs.

June Huddleston brought delicious Apple Dumplings to the Farmers' Alliance Luncheon that my Sunday School class served last week. We all wanted the recipe and she said that she adapted it from a recipe for Peach Dumplings that was featured in a Johnson Farms brochure. When June made these she used vanilla in the syrup and eliminated the cinnamon. You can use whatever combination of flavorings that you prefer -- I will definitely use some nutmeg because I like nutmeg with apples. June also added a drop of red food coloring to the syrup "to make them look pretty".

This recipe once again proves the versatility of store bought crescent rolls.

Serves 8

2 large apples (Granny Smith) or peaches

8 refrigerated Crescent Rolls

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon vanilla (scant)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and/or nutmeg (optional)

Peel fruit and cut into quarters. Roll fruit up into the crescent rolls and put into a baking dish that you have lightly buttered or sprayed with cooking spray. Bring sugar, water, butter and vanilla to a boil. Pour mixture over rolls. Sprinkle rolls with sugar and cinnamon and/or nutmeg and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Makes 8 individual dumplings.

I think if you are making apple dumplings it would be delicious to top them with cheese. When they have finished baking, turn off the oven and top with a slice of cheddar or American cheese and leave them in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Or you could put the dumplings in a serving dish and add cheese and microwave just long enough to melt cheese.

Alan's Aunt Margaret from Albany, Georgia, gave me this recipe for a Cheese Casserole more than 25 years ago. This casserole has been served for the Farmer's Alliance Stockholders Luncheon that is prepared by the Joyner-Brewer Sunday School Class at First United Methodist Church. This class has been preparing this meal for 24 years and this casserole has always been on the menu.

Each year there are requests for this recipe and this year was no exception. As a result the recipe has been in this column several times. The recipe is really very simple and is truly delicious. The Uneeda Biscuits called for in the recipe were once available locally. This is no longer the case and I have tried using several other products but I have not been happy with the results. Don't try this recipe with saltines!

For the past few years, we have obtained the Uneeda Biscuits by contacting the Nabisco Consumer Affairs division of Nabisco. This is the information they sent us that will enable you to order this product if you are interested. "We have recently put a system in place to fill orders for products which are unavailable in a consumer's area. The cost of these products, which must be ordered by the case, includes retail product price as well as shipping and handling charges. If you are interested in learning more, please call us at 1-800-8-NABNET (1-800-862-2638) between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST."

When we ordered in June we ordered 2 cases, which were shipped in 1 box. The cost per box, including shipping and handling, was $3.01. I put these boxes in zip lock bags and freeze them. You might want to divide a case with some friends. Good luck!

Serves 8

1 box Uneeda Biscuits, roughly crumbled

1 pound extra sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 pink milk

1/2 stick butter, dotted over top of casserole

Spray 9 x 13 pyrex dish with Pam.

Layer half of cracker crumbs and half of cheese in pan, repeat layers.

Lightly beat eggs, milk, and a little salt and pepper. Pour over casserole. Needs very little salt.

Dot with butter. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 400° until browned and bubbly. This will set somewhat like a custard pie.

Could layer crackers and cheese in advance but don't pour liquids over until you are ready to bake.

A Fruit Salad is always a nice addition to any meal and for some people will even serve as a dessert. This salad is a nice mix of canned and fresh fruit, which adds some crunch to the salad. The onion and curry powder add some extra flavor to this dish. I prefer using fruits packed in their own juices rather than heavy syrups when I can find them.

Serves 12

2 (17 ounce) cans chunky fruit

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange sections

1 medium tart apple, chopped

1/4 cup raisins

2 teaspoons finely chopped sweet onions (optional)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1½ teaspoons curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or almonds

Drain one can of chunky fruit and the mandarin oranges. Combine all fruits with onions (if using), lemon juice, curry powder and cinnamon. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of this liquid for the dressing.

Mix reserved syrup with sour cream and mayonnaise. Drizzle this over the salad.

Sprinkle with the chopped nuts if desired.

This Cheeseburger Pie is quick and easy to prepare and should be a supper that your children will enjoy. I use any type of cheese that I happen to have on hand but not Parmesan, although just a little of it might be good sprinkled on top.

Serves 6

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

1 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 beaten egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup milk

2 cups grated cheese of choice (don't use Parmesan)

Brown onion and ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well and pour into an unbaked pie shell.

Mix topping ingredients well and spread over meat mixture. Bake at 425 degrees until crust is golden and topping is bubbly. Cut into wedges to serve.

Now that fall is here I am enjoying adding some different vegetables to our meals. Brussel Sprouts are a favorite of ours and I think they are delicious when prepared with lemon juice and fresh dill weed. This recipe might make some people who think they don't like this vegetable reconsider.

Serves 4

3/4 pound Brussel sprouts, halved and trimmed

1/4 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed

Cook sprouts in a steamer, covered, until just tender, 7-8 minutes. Sauté onion in butter until softened. Add the sprouts, wine and lemon juice. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add dill weed, salt and pepper to taste and stir until combined. May add more lemon juice if desired.

I am always looking for new ways to serve fall squash because by this time of the year I am a little tired of your traditional summer vegetables that I seem to eat all year round because they are available. The old favorites don't require much thought and creativity either.

This recipe is from a very old Southern Living and it is an excellent way to serve acorn squash and to use some of the apples that are so abundant this year.

Serves 4

2 medium acorn squash (about 1¼ pounds each)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup chopped, unpeeled apple

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Cut acorn squash in half, and remove seeds. Place squash, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish. Add boiling water to a depth of 1/2 inch to the pan.

Combine brown sugar, butter, and chopped apple; spoon into squash shells. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until squash is tender. Sprinkle with pecans and serve.

When I was growing up a sure sign that it was fall was when my father would dry his own apples and then my mother would make Fried Apple Pies. Today since you can buy dried apples year round you can serve this treat almost any time, but I still seem to think of this as a dessert to serve this time of year. My mother would have loved this recipe because of the convenience of using refrigerated biscuits.

Serves 10

1 (8-ounce) package dried apples

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 (10-ounce) can flaky biscuits

Combine apples and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Cool. Mash slightly, if necessary. Stir in sugar and butter; set mixture aside. You may also add a little cinnamon or nutmeg to taste if you wish.

Roll each biscuit into a 5-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place about 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture on half of each biscuit circle. To seal pies, dip finger in water and moisten edges of circle; fold in half, making sure edges are even. Using a fork dipped in flour, press edges firmly together.

Pour fresh vegetable oil to the depth of 1/2 inch into a heavy skillet or electric frying pan. Fry pies in hot oil (375 degrees) over medium high heat on both sides until golden, turning once. Drain well on paper towels.

This recipe will serve 10 people if each person only eats one pie. Don't count on this!

My daughter Margaret passed on this easy and yummy way to bake pork tenderloin. The best part of this recipe is -- assuming you don't have to make a trip to the grocery store to pick up some of the ingredients -- this dish is ready to be served to hungry guests in about 30 minutes.

Serves 4

1 vacuum packed pepper-coated pork tenderloin

1/4 cup molasses

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon bourbon

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Mix molasses, Dijon, bourbon and thyme. Remove pork from package and rub generously with this mixture. Spray a baking pan lightly with cooking spray -- not one that contains flour. Place tenderloin in pan and add any remaining molasses mixture.

Bake at 450° for approximately 20 minutes or until your meat thermometer indicates that it is done. Don't overcook -- remember that it will continue cooking for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.

This Apple Slaw recipe is really a blending of slaw and a traditional Waldorf Salad. It is a nice version of two old favorites. When I make this I do not use the radishes because I usually would not have any in my refrigerator, nor are they a favorite of mine.

You can use light sour cream when preparing this recipe.

Serves 8

2 large tart red apples, unpeeled and chopped

1½ teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups coarsely shredded cabbage

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

6 large radishes, thinly sliced (optional)

3 tablespoons raisins

1/4 cup commercial sour cream

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Toss chopped apple with lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir in cabbage and next 4 ingredients; add sour cream, stirring until blended. Cover and chill for 2 hours before serving.

You may need a little extra sour cream to bind the ingredients together but remember you will get some additional liquids while the slaw is refrigerated.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of nuts before serving.

The fall festival and bazaar season is here. Many of you are probably being asked to contribute baked goods for these widely anticipated events. For years, my standby whenever I send a cake to one of these bazaars has been an Applesauce Cake. To me this cake really signals the fall season and this recipe has never let me down.

I usually do not ice this cake because people often want to freeze and save it for a later occasion. But if you want to dress the cake up for a special occasion, try using this Bourbon Frosting. If you don't use a frosting but want to add something when you serve this, top a slice with sweetened whipped cream flavored with apple brandy or bourbon or just vanilla extract.

Serves 20

3 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups raisins

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 cups unsweetened canned applesauce

Bourbon Frosting ---

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

2½ tablespoons milk

Sift 2½ cups flour, spices, and baking soda together. Toss raisins and nuts with remaining 1/2 cup flour. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add applesauce and blend. Stir in flour mixture gradually, beating until smooth after each addition. Add raisins and nuts and mix well. Grease and flour an 8 cup baking mold and fill 2/3 full.

Bake in 350° oven for 75 minutes or until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert and remove from pan. Frost when cool.

Cream butter at medium speed of an electric mixer; gradually add sugar, bourbon, and milk, beating until mixture reaches spreading consistency. Yield: Frosting for a 10 inch cake.

This recipe for Cream-Topped Grapes is so easy but it is a dessert idea that I just hadn't ever thought of serving. But what could be prettier to serve as an ending for a substantial meal when you just want a little something sweet. I think you could substitute other fruits for the grapes or even add other fruits.

Serves 8

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups seedless green grapes

3 cups seedless red grapes

In a small mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add the sour cream; mix well. Divide the grapes among individual serving bowls; top with a dollop of the topping.

One serving should be 3/4 cup of grapes topped with 2 tablespoons of topping.

I really like meat recipes that include fruits. This is a flavor combination that really appeals to me. This is a very easy recipe that takes little time to assemble -- a real advantage during this particularly busy time of year. I think this is a dish that you will make more than once.

Serves 6

4 large mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper to taste

6 skinned and boned chicken breast halves

6 canned apricot halves

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 325°. Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter until lightly cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Place chicken breast halves in greased oven-proof dish.

Combine marinade and pour over the breasts. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning to insure even marinade coverage. Spoon mushrooms and onions over breasts. Top with fruit. Return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done and fruit is warmed through. (Cut into one of the breasts to make sure the juices run clear -- some of the chicken breast halves are really large and may need a longer baking time.)

You could substitute orange marmalade and orange sections for the apricots and apricot preserves.

This Cauliflower for Company recipe is a good way to prepare this often overlooked vegetable when you have guests or are looking for something for a Pot Luck dinner. Be careful not to overcook the cauliflower when you are boiling it.

Serves 6

1 medium head of cauliflower

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup diced green pepper

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimientos

Salt and pepper to taste

6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Separate cauliflower into small florets and cook 5 to 7 minutes in boiling water until barely tender, drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.

Lightly sauté peppers and mushrooms in butter. Blend in flour, gradually stir in the milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Add salt and pepper and most of the pimientos.

Lightly grease a 1½ quart casserole. Layer half of the cauliflower, half of the cheese, and half of the sauce in the prepared casserole. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with paprika and top with the remaining pimientos. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.