Thursday, October 24, 2013

dinner


First really chilly day of the season
Sausage and Kale Soup 
w/ red potatoes


I sort of felt the first twinges of a possible cold today - could have just been allergies, so hot soup was called for. I've sort of posted this before, there is not even a real recipe.

  • 3 medium onions
  • 3-4 stalks of celery - use the leafy part too, loads of flavor
  • 1 BIG carrot, or a few small.
Mostly onion, then celery, then carrot - all chopped close to the same size. All in your large heavy bottomed pot with a little oil. Let it go, nice and slow,really - there are not many ingredients in this soup, so you need to build the flavor that comes with letting your vegetables cook a good long time. A few minutes in add a big teaspoon full of 
  • Whole Grain Mustard
Cook everything down, then add
  • 5-6 Italian Sausage Links  - out of the casings. I use hot - either is fine
Squish them out of the little tubes into the veggies, break apart with a spoon and again, just let it go - before its all the way cooked / browned add
  • A lot of chopped garlic - how much, I used 4 BIG  cloves - as much as you think you like, but more than you would use in almost anything else, but I really like garlic.
Finish cooking all this - season, I only used 
  • salt and pepper
While all that is going on de-rib, wash and chop 
  • 2 bunches of Kale. I used the plain old curly kind today, but what ever you can find. 
Add to the meat and veggies 
  • 2 boxes plus one large can of chicken stock. Tonight I used two boxes of organic, free range blah blah, cause it was on sale. It did have a really good flavor. Then the large can just to round it all out....You could use veggie stock - mixture. With the flavor from the rendered sausage, I bet you could get away with water in a pinch.
  • ADD THE CLEANED CHOPPED KALE
It will look like way to much, like you have made a pot of greens, and as a matter of fact I did hold a little bit back, maybe a 1/4 head - but it could have taken it all. Like all greens they really reduce.
After things have cooked for a few min, add your washed and chopped
  • 4-5 medium red potatoes - you just don't want to cook these to much.
Cook just until the potatoes are done - and they are large diced , so really does not take all that long. Much better if they do not cook to mush.

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