Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Kale

Another hearty pasta dish for autumn. Use canned, frozen, or fresh tomatoes if you still have some. I have more kale in the garden than I know what to do with, and there is plenty available right now from local growers.

1 lb dry pasta
1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cups chopped tomatoes
Dried basil to taste
Dried oregano to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
5-6 cups chopped kale, or more if you like
Grated Parmesan for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.

While preparing the pasta, start to brown the sausage in a large pot. When a little fat starts to render, add the garlic and onion. When the sausage is cooked, add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

After the sauce has simmered, add the kale and cook until tender. Mix with the cooked pasta or serve on top, topped with grated Parmesan.

Serves 5-6.

Green Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese

Farmers in the Valley will be growing lettuce and other greens in cold frames and hoop houses into at least December. The apple harvest is coming to an end, but local apples will be available for a good while yet. Combine them in this salad with some blue cheese from a local producer and add some nuts for a delicious fall salad.

6 cups torn lettuce or mixed salad greens
1 medium apple, preferably on the tart side
1 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted (or try pecans)
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese of your choice

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Top with salad dressing of your choice (a vinaigrette is good).

Serves 4-6.

Halloween Ideas?

Halloween is coming right up and I'm wondering if anyone has any good ideas for treats to give out that come from a local source but will be acceptable to parents worried about safety. If you do, please share!

Pasta With Sausage and Winter Squash Sauce

This is a good fall meal, savory and satisfying. Try sausage from Bostrom's Farm in Greenfield or Not Your Ordinary Farm in Guilford, Vermont (available at the Greenfield Farmers Coop on High St). Leeks, garlic, and squash grown locally are plentiful right now. I still have fresh sage growing in my garden--it's pretty cold hardy. I use cream from Mapleline Farms in Hadley. For a lighter version of this sauce, you could reduce or omit the cream and add some more milk.

1 lb dry pasta such as linguine
5 medium leeks, white part only, sliced in thin rounds
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chorizo or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cups cooked and mashed winter squash
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup milk, plus more as desired
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp minced fresh sage leaves
1-2 tsp lemon juice

Heat a pot of water and cook the pasta. While the water heats and the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce.

Heat a large skillet, then start to brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. When it starts to release some fat, add the leeks and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in the winter squash and lower heat to medium. Stir in the cream and milk. If desired, add more milk for a thinner sauce. Add salt, pepper, sage and lemon juice and stir well. Serve over or tossed with pasta.

Serves 4-6.

Squash, Feta, and Onion Pizza

If you have some cooked winter squash sitting in the fridge, this is a good use for it. Or cook a medium acorn or similarly sized squash. Squash, onions, garlic, feta, and sage are all easily available from local sources right now.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp crumbled dried sage or 1 Tbsp minced fresh sage leaves
½ tsp salt
¼ - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ -2 cups cooked winter squash, mashed
1 14-inch pizza crust
¾ - 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3-4 ounces shredded mozzarella (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450˚.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent but still slightly crunchy, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, sage, salt, and pepper, and sauté another 2-3 minutes, until the lemon juice is mostly evaporated.

Spread the mashed squash evenly over the pizza crust. Top with the onion and garlic mixture. Spread crumbled feta over everything. If desired, top with shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is crisp and the feta and onions begin to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Variation: Substitute 2 tsp oregano and ¼ - ½ tsp red pepper flakes for the sage.

Roasted Garlic

This is a good time of year to get local garlic. And so many fall and winter dishes benefit from the addition of roasted garlic. I like to do at least a few heads at once and then keep it around for a bit, since it always seems like too much time and too much waste to roast a single head at a time. I have not tried freezing roasted garlic yet, but I bet it would work quite well. I think you would want to either puree it or else freeze individual cloves on a tray before putting them into a bag.

A few things I like to do with roasted garlic: mash or puree and add to mashed potatoes or roasted winter squash (a nice option for the Thanksgiving table), put whole or halved cloves on pizza, puree or mash and use as a spread.

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Cut the top third off each head to expose the cloves. Place the heads in a baking dish and add water so that it comes about a third of the way up the heads. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the heads.

Cover with foil and bake about an hour, until the garlic is soft and tender.

To remove cloves from their skin, allow the heads to cool until they can be handled comfortably, then separate the cloves from the head and squeeze each one out with your hands. Warning: this is a messy process.

If not using the garlic immediately, it will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few days.

One More Farmers Market Tomorrow

It turns out I was misinformed about the Greenfield farmers market ending last weekend--there is one more tomorrow! Get out there and stock up!