Toscana Soup and Sausage in a Pinch

The smells coming from the kitchen are almost too much to take.

• 1 lb bulk pork sausage (pasture raised if you can get it, otherwise make your own sausage.  Recipe below.)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 qts chicken stock
• 3-4 medium potatoes, cubed into 1/2" bites
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped roughly
• 1/2 fresh cream

In a large saucepan/small stockpot, melt butter and brown sausage.  Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.

Add stock and potatoes.  Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 mins.  Add kale and cream and heat through.

Sausage in a Pinch (Spicy Italian)

Sausage isn't something I normally keep on hand and I haven't found any pasture raised sausage here so I make this instead.

• 1 lbs ground meat (I've used turkey and beef)
• 1/4 cup red wine (use broth if you don't want to use alcohol)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 clove, minced
• 1 tsp ground pepper (less if you want less spice)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (less if you want less spice)
• 1 tbsp fennel
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

Either mix all the spices into the meat in a bowl or you can mix it as you are sauteing the meat.