My plentiful garden

Today was our first silverbeet harvest. Our garden has provided my kitchen with its first real sign that it will indeed be plentiful . The bounty was luscious & green & oh so crispy, I have been waiting and watching it grow, considering which dish would best fit such high expectations. Cheese & Feta filo pastries, or gently steamed with a nob of butter and little soy sauce. On a hot baked spud with sour cream & coleslaw. Undecided I let the small people decide and of cause they asked for 'Silverbeet & Cheese Cannelloni.' This is the meal EVERYONE in this house asks for on their birthday, this is the meal that comes out at Christmas, Easter, & Anniversaries. This is vegetarian decadence at its best, there is nothing low fat or healthy about this meal, except for the silverbeet itself. A tray of cannelloni is totally devoured by the 5 of us in one night with maybe two pieces left for the daddy mans lunch the next day. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has for the last 14 years.

A Swelshed Recipe for Silverbeet & Cheese Cannelloni

2 Packets of cannelloni tubes although this recipe is for 1 1/2 packets cause that's what fits in my tray

Sauce

1 onion chopped

oil
1 red capsicum

dried basil

dried thyme

tbsp sugar
tsp salt

1 jar of tomato sauce (homemade or plain pasta sauce)

1 satchel of tomato paste

1 tbsp white vinegar

about 1/2 cup water

Cannelloni Filling
2 bunches of silverbeet

1 tub of cottage cheese

dried oregano

salt

sugar

nutmeg

black pepper

Topping

1 tub cream cheese

1cup grated cheese

Note: all the ingredients are to taste, I guess they would be around 1/2 - 1tsp each

chop onions, saute in oil, add chopped capsicum (I like to do onions & capsicum in the food processor, it makes a finer sauce) stir until onion turns clear. Add seasonings, jar of tomatoes tomato paste, vinegar and water. Boil then reduce heat while you make the filling.
Steam silverbeet until just softened, then drain really well. Chop spinach add cottage cheese and add remaining filling ingredients. Stuff cannelloni (this is really messy so just use your hands, or your kids hands if they are helping) Don't put too much filling in cause the tubes break. Arrange them in an oven tray or casserole dish, pour sauce over the top and spread evenly. soften cream cheese and spread over the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese and bake for around 30 - 40 Min's or until the pasta is soft. Serve with salad or veggies.
This entire salad came from the backyard as well, we are well on our way to making a complete meal from our garden.