3D Movies, Friends to Dinner, and a Polo Tournament...What a Great Weekend So Far!

     It's been such a great weekend so far, and we still have Sunday to go!!!
     Today and yesterday were absolutely gorgeous--in the low 70's with a slight breeze, clear blue skies, and everything you could want for a warm autumn day...including a day at the polo matches!!!

     This is the 2nd year we have been invited by our friend Dezie Lerner to be her guests for the Skull Valley Polo Club Players Cup Tournament and Texas Barbecue. The venue is the beautiful Van Dickson Ranch in Skull Valley, and hosted by Paul and Carolyn Harris.  It is such great fun to sit beside the gorgeous green polo field, watch the magnificent polo ponies and their riders maneuver around the field while assaulting the chukkar (that's the ball) and trying to take it from the other team or get it through the posts for a goal. The Arizona Polo Team won, with Skull Valley coming in second...a round robin was played with the three teams.     

Coming right at us...

     Then after all of the excitement of watching these three teams (Skull Valley vs Texas vs The Arizona Polo Club, all sanctioned and part of the U.S. Polo Association) play, visiting with the wonderful attendees and sharing the food brought by everyone for their lunch by the field, you then get to enjoy a traditional Texas style brisket bbq with bbq sauce, salsa, rolls, potato salad, coleslaw, corn salad, green salad, and a myriad of desserts.  And sit at tables set up in the park-like grounds under the trees, with green grass, flowers, and even two friendly loving dogs adding to the joy of this feast. This is our 2nd year going to the tournament, and we decided that this is a new tradition for us the first Saturday of each October.   We met new people, found friends made last year, and could not have enjoyed ourselves more.   
     Plus I brought home a gallon zip bag of marigold seeds that Carolyn had dried and had many bags sitting in a box for anyone to take free of charge.  They'll look great among the iris in the front, and will be used around the vegetable gardens come spring as a natural insect deterrent. Plus, the javelinas don't eat them!!

     Last night friends Jeff & Darla Holtke came over for dinner, prior to our going to the movies to see "Gravity" in 3D, and everyone enjoyed my new creation. My local CSA box this week included a multitude of     green bell peppers. After using as many as possible in salads, as  scoops for dips, in rice pilaf, etc. I came up with this recipe for a Stuffed Bell Pepper SW Style.  Hope you enjoy.  Sorry there's no photo of the entire pan filled with this deliciousness but my camera battery was dead and my company was not willing to hold up the eating of this meal until I could get a money shot!!!  So, had to take one of the leftovers today!

     SOUTHWESTERN STYLE STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

  (Substitute cooked quinoa in equal parts for the rice to amp up the protein level and give a nutty flavor)

6 medium bell peppers (red or green)

1 ½ lbs ground beef

2 c. cooked rice (brown or white)

1 c. diced onion

¼ c. diced bell pepper

¼ c. diced celery

2T.olive oil

1 t. cumin

2 t. menudo mix spices

1 ½  cup corn (frozen or drained from a can or fresh from the cob)

1 T. Cholula sauce

2 cups shredded jack, cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

2 c. red or green chili salsa

1 c. grated jack, cheddar or pepper jack cheese.

     Put 1 T olive oil in a large Dutch Oven and heat over medium high heat. Brown ground beef until no longer pink. Add onions, diced bell pepper, diced celery and cook until softened. Add rice, cumin, menudo mix, corn, Cholula sauce and heat through.  Add 2 c. cheese , turn off the burner, and stir mixture together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

     Split 6 bell peppers in half lengthwise, removing the seeds, stem and ribs. Use 1 T. olive oil to grease 13x9 inch pan. Lay halved bell peppers in pan, cut side up. Using a spoon, scoop ground beef mixture into each shell, filling as much as possible. Spoon a large spoonful of salsa over the top of each filled pepper, and sprinkle cheese over each one. 

     Cover with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.  Remove foil, broil top to brown if desired. Serve with a nice salad and some garlic Parmesan bread for a complete and delicious meal.