CALIFORNIA CORNBREAD DRESSING

California Cornbread Dressing

1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced (1 rib)
1 (6 ounce) box cornbread stuffing mix with seasoning packet
1 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup toasted sunflower kernels or walnut pieces

Melt butter in a Dutch oven. Add the sliced zucchini, onion, bell pepper and celery. Saute, stirring often, until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add the seasoning packet from stuffing box and water.

Cover and simmer a few minutes. Remove lid and stir in stuffing crumbs from box, using a fork.

Add sunflower kernels or walnuts. Cover and let stand off of the range burner at least 3 minutes. Serve as a side dish, or wrap in thin slices of boiled or baked ham to form plump rolls.

Yields 8 servings.