Sausage Stew with Chickpeas

This was my first use of Hager Brothers sausage, available at Hager's Farm Market on route 2 in Shelburne. It was good!

I served this over butternut polenta, which was an excellent combination. But you could also eat it straight, perhaps with cornbread on the side.

1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium-large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups tomatoes (canned or frozen) and their liquid (thawed if frozen)
2 bell peppers, diced (green or red, frozen is fine)
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the sausage in a Dutch oven or large pot, breaking it into chunks as it cooks. Pour off most of the fat, then add the garlic and onions and saute with the sausage for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peppers, chickpeas, and sage and simmer for 10-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 4 (4-6 if served with polenta).