Stay Cozy, Stay Home

Well. Imagine my happiness when I found out that Hickory Nut Gap is shipping meat! Yes! Directly to the doorstep, in a cotton-based insulated box that is completely biodegradable. Therefore I can remain in my cotton-based insulation: my pajamas, and the meat comes to me.

So, where I might have been gearing up to gather, now I’m gearing up to get re-inspired at home. Since HNG has put together these sampler boxes and has shipping available, I can continue to support local, and feel good knowing that my family is getting healthy meat raised on healthy soils. Plus, I can send the meat I’m lucky enough to have access to here in Fairview to my distant family, as a gift. There are a total of 8 sampler boxes launching in December, including grass-fed steak and pastured pork selections, charcuterie, and grilling and BBQ cuts. The Pastured Pork Sausage Bundle is really calling out to me, and is one of the three bundles available now in the early phase of the farm’s sampler offerings.

I’ve decided to stay cozy while letting my memories of joyful gatherings inspire my cooking, and the HNG bundles have re-invigorated my planning. One recipe I can’t wait to make is a white bean and escarole soup with Italian sausage. It was one of the last things I made for a group of students I was teaching at an in-person workshop, and it reminds me of the inspiration and beauty of what people create when they come together to learn, and accomplish a shared goal. And of course, there will be Aunt Sarah’s sausage balls on Christmas morning. Bring on the memories, and bring on the doorstep meats.

Winter Soup with White Bean, Escarole & Italian Sausage

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. HNG hot Italian sausage links, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 head of escarole (or other bitter green of your choice), roughly chopped
• 1.5 cups northern or navy beans, soaked and cooked
• 2 quarts chicken or pork stock, or 1 quart water and 1 quart stock
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• Heavy cream (optional)
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Process:

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil until it shimmers, then add the sausage, onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Sauté over medium high heat , stirring to prevent sticking and burning, to brown everything, about 5 minutes. It’s OK if the sausage isn’t cooked through at this point, you just want some browning on the outside. Now, dump in the wine. Let it bubble for a minute and reduce. Add the stock (or stock and water) and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, add the beans, escarole or other green, and place a lid on the pot. Cook over low heat until the sausage is cooked through, the beans and stock are well-heated, and the escarole is evenly wilted (but not soggy!).

When everything is evenly heated and cooked, stir in the tomato paste, then salt to taste. I like to add a generous quantity of black pepper to this soup, up to 30-40 grinds of my pepper grinder.

The final touch is a generous pour of heavy cream, stirred in just before serving. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with fresh grated parmesan and a side of piping hot, crusty bread.

Aunt Sarah’s Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 T. of butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 (12 oz.) chub HNG breakfast sausage
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Up to 1/4 c. buttermilk (only if needed)

Process:

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using a small knife or a cheese grater, reduce the cold butter into small pieces. Mix thoroughly with your hands until the butter is in pea-sized (or smaller) granules.

Add sausage and cheese. Mix thoroughly— it actually works out better at this stage to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and just really mix it well. If the mixture is looking dry or crumbly whatsoever, add in buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is moist and holds together well.

Roll the mixture into 1” balls and arrange on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. We eat these on Christmas morning with our coffee, while the kids shriek and shred into presents, and we’re still coaxing our eyes to open.