ITEMS
Gold Beets
Oyster Mushrooms
Diced Butternut Squash
Brassica Blend Microgreens*
Whipping Cream
Ground Pork
PRODUCERS
Amaltheia Organic Dairy - Belgrade
Front Street Fungi - Missoula
Root Cellar Foods - Belgrade
Gallatin Valley Botanical - Bozeman
Kalispell Kreamery - Kalispell
Amaltheia Organic Dairy - Belgrade
Easy Homemade Sausage
Use ground pork in place of, or along with, beef or other ground meat for tacos, burgers, or pastas. It also works well with stir-fry or lettuce wraps, or Middle Eastern kebabs. One of my favorite ways to use it is to turn it into sausage. This is easy to do, and tastes better than most store-bought sausage. Combine your spices together first, then mix well into 1 lb raw ground pork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 24 hrs before using for best flavor. Form into patties or break it up into pieces in a skillet and cook until no longer pink all the way through.
Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried, ground sage (or 1 Tbs fresh, chopped)
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Optional: 1/4 tsp paprika, marjoram, or garlic powder. 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 Tbs fresh). 1 tsp fennel seeds.
Italian Sausage Seasoning
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder (or 1 Tbs fresh garlic, minced)
1/4 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, parsley (or ~1 tsp Italian seasoning)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more for more heat)
Optional: pinch of cayenne, dried rosemary, 1 Tbs red wine vinegar, onion powder, thyme, etc.
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, & Sausage
This struck me as an easy meal for the days after the holiday, though this week's ingredients could definitely be featured on the Thanksgiving table as well! Makes about 4 servings.
12 oz pasta - either a wide noodle like pappardelle, or something short like penne or farfalle
1 lb Italian sausage
1 lb diced butternut squash
4 oz oyster mushrooms, diced - supplement with cremini or white mushrooms, up to 8 oz total
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 medium-sized onion, any color, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
~1 C grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy the sausage is. 1 Tbs fresh sage (1 tsp dried). A few big handfuls of greens like spinach or chopped kale.
Start a large pot of water on the stove with 1 Tbs salt to cook the pasta in. Once the salted water is boiling, add the pasta and stir well- a good time mark would be to add the pasta about the time you start cooking the squash. Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, use a measuring cup to remove 1 C of the pasta water and set aside (this is important! you need the starchy pasta water to help make a sauce).
Meanwhile, sauté the sausage and onion with 1 Tbs oil in a large skillet, breaking up the
sausage until cooked through and lightly browned. Set the cooked mixture aside in a bowl. Heat another 1 Tbs oil over medium-high heat in the sausage pan, sauté the squash for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or until both are soft and starting to brown. Add garlic, pepper flakes, sage and/or greens, if using. Stir until garlic is fragrant, ~1 minute more. Add sausage and onion back to the skillet. Cover and turn off heat if pasta is still cooking.
Once cooked, drain pasta and add it to the skillet with the sausage and squash and 1/2 C
grated cheese. Return heat to medium. Add reserved pasta water 1/4 C at a time, stirring well and tossing until everything is well combined and coated with sauce. You may not need all the pasta water. Season to taste and serve with remaining grated cheese on top.
*Microgreens?!
Top your holiday dishes with pop of fresh color just before serving, add them to a salad for some extra zing, spruce up a veggie tray, or pile them up on a sandwich.
Want some other recipe ideas? Check some of these out: