Kale Strata with Italian Sausage

Most of the classes I teach during the holidays feature the festive…sometimes labor intensive…foods that most of us associate with the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.  But occasionally I tuck in a class that is all about making the season a little bit easier on the cook.  Next week I will be teaching a class with a slate of quick weeknight meals.  This week I taught a class featuring foods to make or keep on hand when your house is filled with out of town guests.

One of the recipes in the class was for a strata filled with kale and Italian sausage.  I think perhaps a lot of people have grown up with stratas…often called a breakfast casserole….  But I did not.  I didn’t have a strata until well into my adulthood (and my cooking career).  The first one I tasted was one I made—a “savory bread pudding” filled with asparagus and goat cheese.  It was delicious. 

And of course, that’s exactly what strata is…a savory bread pudding.  As the word strata implies, traditional versions of this dish are made by layering sliced, stale bread with cooked fillings (meats and vegetables) and cheese. In the version I make, the bread is cubed and tossed (or layered) with the other ingredients.  



Both styles then get soaked with an egg-rich custard.  



The dish is left to sit for at least half an hour before baking (so the bread can have a chance to absorb the custard)…and can be left in the fridge overnight.  And therein is the thing that makes it so appropriate for feeding houseguests.  You can make the whole thing ahead—and whether you are feeding it to people for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner (it is appropriate for all of these), when you are ready to eat, you just pop it in the oven.  It’s ready in an hour—during which time you can do other things with your guests—or make something simple to serve with it (green or raw vegetable salad, roasted potatoes, etc.).

In my classes, I always teach specific recipes—but the recipes are often intended to be a vehicle for teaching basic techniques, standard methods and classic formulas/ratios. To my mind, this is how I can best help people to learn how to really cook.   So I was especially pleased when, while working on my strata recipe, I ran across a post at epicurious.com about how to make a strata without a recipe.  The author of the article offered a basic formula for the components of the dish, along with an outline of how to put it all together.  I don’t agree with her on all the details, but I think the article is excellent and definitely worth reading.

The basic idea presented in the article is that you can ratio all of your components from the volume of your bread.  I have adapted the formula to suit my preferences as follows:  For every cup of bread, I add a half cup of cooked fillings, a quarter cup (1 oz.) of grated cheese, and 1cup of custard. 

The custard is of course just a mixture of eggs and dairy.  You will find stratas that have as little as 2 eggs for every cup of dairy…and some that have 4 eggs for every cup (basically equal quantities of egg and dairy).  The higher the percentage of eggs, the firmer the resulting strata will be.  I prefer a slightly softer set and use roughly 2 1/2 eggs for every cup of dairy.  As for the dairy, almost every strata recipe I have ever seen uses all milk.  But I add just a touch of heavy cream.  That first savory bread pudding I made (mentioned above) included a small amount of cream…and it was exceptional.  It’s a bit counterintuitive, but that little bit of extra fat makes the strata seem even lighter.

I thought my kale and sausage strata was delicious…and I hope you will give it a try.  But I hope you will feel free to experiment, using the recipe as a template, too....taking simple things from your pantry—stale bread, eggs, milk, cheese—and using them as a starting point to create a satisfying and delicious meal.  

Savory Kale Strata

1 large bunch kale (Red Russian, Siberian or Tuscan), stems stripped away (you should have about 150 g./1/3 lb. trimmed leaves) and leaves rinsed in several changed of water

1 T. olive oil, plus more as needed

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage (or 2 links, casings removed)

1 yellow onion (about 5 oz.), finely diced (1 c.)

1 t. minced rosemary

1/2 lb. day-old bread, crust intact, cut into 1-inch cubes (5 c.)

1 c. (4 oz.) coarsely grated Gruyère (or other well-flavored melting cheese)

1/3 c. (1 oz.) grated Parmesan

8 eggs

2 1/2 c. milk

3/4 c. heavy cream

1 t. kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart shallow and wide casserole or baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.  Add the kale and cook until just tender—about 6 to 7 minutes.  Lift the kale out of the pot and spread on a baking sheet to cool.  When cool enough to handle, gently squeeze out the excess water.  Chop very coarsely and set aside. 

While the kale cooks, place a tablespoon of olive oil in a cold, wide sauté pan.  Crumble in the sausage and set the pan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through—about 8 to 10 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, lift out the sausage and transfer to a plate.

Return the pan to medium heat.  Add the onion and rosemary along with a good pinch of salt.  Sweat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and beginning to caramelize a bit on the edges—about 10 to 15 minutes.  If the pan appears to be dry at any time while the onion cooks (because the sausage was very lean) add a drizzle of oil.  When the onion is ready, add the kale and toss/stir to coat in the onions.  Let the mixture sizzle and cook for a minute or two to allow the flavors to blend.  Set aside to cool.

Place the bread, sausage, kale-onion mix, the Parmesan and all but a small handful of Gruyère in a large bowl.  Toss so that everything is evenly distributed.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Crack the eggs into the same bowl and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the milk, cream, 1 t. of salt and several grindings of pepper.  Pour the egg mixture over the bread and mix ins.  Jiggle the dish a bit to make sure everything is evenly distributed.  Press down on any bread that isn’t coated in custard.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.  (Or, transfer to the fridge and chill overnight…let sit at room temperature for an hour or two before baking.)

Remove the plastic wrap and once again, lightly press down on the bread (using a spatula or fork) to make sure everything is submerged or coated in the custard.  Scatter the reserved cheese over all.  Cover the pan with a buttered and tented piece of foil and transfer to a 350° oven. 

Bake covered for about 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the strata is bubbling around the edges and the custard is set in the center (the tip of a paring knife inserted in the center will come out clean and an instant read thermometer will read between 160° and 180°)—another 15 minutes or so. If the strata is not browned to your liking, run under the broiler for a minute or two (watch carefully so it won’t burn). 

Let the strata rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  Serves 8.

Notes/Variations:

• Substitute 1 1/4 c. diced ham for the sausage. 
• Substitute milk for some or all of the heavy cream.
• This recipe is a template for any strata.  For every 5 cups of bread you will need about 5 cups of custard (eggs and dairy combined) and 2 1/2 c. total mix ins (this recipe has 1 1/4 cup each cooked kale & cooked sausage).

Printable Version

Dandelion Greens... In a Gratin with White Beans, Tomatoes & Garlic Sausage

All summer long I have noticed that one of the growers at my farmers' market has had dandelion greens for sale at their stall.  I have intended several times to grab a bunch, but for some reason I never did.  But a couple of weeks ago, I finally remembered to take a minute to ask about them. 

The variety they are growing is a red ribbed Italian heirloom—a member of the chicory family.  They told me that like other members of this family, the dandelion greens can be quite bitter and they have found that they are best when cooked.  Since I love some of the other chicories (endive, frisée and escarole), I bought a bunch.  When treated properly, the bitter edge of these lettuces and greens can be delicious and interesting.  It's just a matter of combining them with things that will balance and compliment the bitterness.  Judicious use of acidity (tomato, citrus, vinegar, etc.), salt (cured meats, anchovy, olives, etc.) and fat (fatty meats, olive oil, etc.) can turn something that is one dimensionally bitter into something that has delicious complexity and flavor. 

The dandelion greens that I purchased—with their ruby colored ribs—reminded me of chard and beet greens...both of which can also be slightly bitter (although not as bitter as chicory).  In the fall and winter I love pairing these kinds of greens with bland starchy things...  Things like polenta, potatoes and white beans.

Considering all this, I decided to use my dandelion greens in a French-style shell bean gratin.  Beans and greens are one of my favorite food combinations.  Whether combined in a soup...or the gratin...the greens that are used for a preparation like this are given ample cooking time to sort of "give up" their bitterness.

When I have prepared gratins like this in the past, I have occasionally included some optional tomato.  Their acidity serves to brighten the blandness of the beans and can be a nice addition.  In the case of my gratin with the dandelion greens, the acidity of the tomato seemed like an essential.

Finally, I added some salty, fatty, garlic sausages to the mix.  Not only did they provide a perfect foil for the dandelion greens, they turned what I have always considered a side dish into a satisfying entrée.   I'm certain you could omit the sausage...but since this makes a fantastic one dish meal when you include it, I'm not sure you would want to. 

One final observation about this gratin:  As you look at the image of the gratin before it goes into the oven and compare it to the image of the finished, baked gratin, you will be struck with how beautiful the unbaked one is.  You might be tempted when you make it to just serve it before baking it.  After all, all of the ingredients are cooked, so why not serve the more beautiful version?  And while I know the unbaked version would be good, it will lack the delicious intermingling of flavors that happens during the baking process.  Just like a good stew or braise that tastes even better after it has had a day to sit, so the baking process of the gratin produces a richness of flavor that can't be matched in the unbaked version.  Besides, making this simple medley of beans, greens, tomatoes and sausage into a gratin allows you to work ahead—something that is a huge bonus for anyone who cooks.  

I couldn't believe how delicious and flavorful my gratin was.  I don't know if it was the addition of the dandelion greens...or simply the combination of a few perfect flavor partners, but I will definitely be making it again.  And I will certainly be making a point in the future to find more ways to serve dandelion greens at my table. 

Gratin of White Beans with Dandelion Greens & Garlic Sausage

1 cup Great Northern beans, soaked over-night

6 T. Olive Oil, divided

1 well-branched sprig of thyme

1/2 medium onion (red or yellow), finely diced

2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 T. minced Thyme

1/2 c. diced tomatoes (can use canned plum or a 6 oz. vine ripe, peeled, seeded neatly diced)

1 bunch of Dandelion greens, stems cut off where the leaves start (discard the stems—you should have a scant 2 oz. trimmed greens), leaves and remaining tender ribs cut cross-wise into 1/2-inch wide ribbons and thoroughly rinsed

6 to 8 oz. garlic sausage, browned and sliced into fat chunks on a slight diagonal

1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs (see below)

Drain and rinse the beans.  Place them in a large saucepan and cover with fresh water by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and skim off the foam that has risen to the surface.  Add 2 T. of olive oil and a sprig of thyme.  Cook the beans at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender.  Or, place the soaked, drained beans in a shallow gratin, drizzle with the olive oil and add a sprig of thyme.  Cover with boiling water by an inch, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, or a piece of foil.  Transfer to a 325° oven and bake until tender.  Whether you cook the beans on the stove top or in the oven, they will take about an hour and 15 minutes to cook.  Add salt to taste when the beans are half cooked.  Beans may be cooked ahead.  Cool the beans in their cooking liquid.

To prepare the gratin, warm 2 T. of olive oil in a wide sauté pan.  Add the onion, minced thyme and some salt.  Gently sweat the onions until they are tender and translucent (about 10 minutes).  Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the greens along with a ladleful of the bean cooking liquid and cook until the greens are wilted and tender. Taste and salt as necessary.

Drain the beans and save the cooking liquid.  Add the beans to the onion mixture and toss to distribute all of the ingredients evenly.  Heat through.  Transfer to a 1 1/2 to 2 quart gratin (or other shallow baking dish).  If using, tuck the sausages into the beans so that they are level with the surface.  Ladle over enough bean liquid to almost cover.  Drizzle the remaining 2 T. of olive oil over the gratin.  (You may prepare the gratin to this point up to a day in advance.  Refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before continuing.)  Cover the top of the gratin with the toasted breadcrumbs.  Bake the gratin in a 350° oven until bubbling and golden brown on top (about 45 minutes).  Check the gratin occasionally while it bakes.  If it appears to be drying out too much, add more bean liquid.  If not browned to your liking when it is bubbling and hot through, briefly run under the broiler until the crumbs are tinged with golden brown.  Serves 2 to 3 

Notes & Variations:

• Use a precooked sausage such as Kielbasa, Linguiça or Aidells Roasted Garlic & Gruyère Chicken Sausage (my favorite) 
• To make a simple side dish of beans and greens, simply omit the sausage. Without the sausage, the gratin will serve 4 to 6 as a side dish. 
• You may use any kind of white bean that you prefer...Cannellini, Flageolet, etc. Just be aware that not all varieties will cook in the same amount of time as the Great Northerns. 
• You may use greens other than dandelions. A small bunch (or half a bunch, if you prefer) of chard or kale (any kind) will work. If you use a whole bunch, you will have about twice as much trimmed weight as with the dandelions. For the both chard and kale, remove all of the ribs/stems. The chard may be added exactly as the dandelions. The kale should be blanched since it takes much longer to cook. To blanch it, drop the clean, trimmed and sliced kale in boiling, salted water and cook until tender. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Add to the onion and tomatoes and heat through. 
• To make toasted breadcrumbs, use the food processor to process sliced/torn "day-old" bread (crusts removed if they are very hard) until bread is in uniform soft crumbs. Spread crumbs on a rimmed cookie sheet and “toast” in a 350 degree oven until golden brown and dry, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Drizzle crumbs with olive oil and toss to combine. Crumbs can be used immediately or cooled and stored airtight at room temperature for a week or so...or frozen for longer.
• Recipe is easily doubled. Use a 3 quart gratin/shallow baking dish. 

Printable Version

Summer Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Corn, Sausage & Pecans

I have been enjoying the Tuscan Kale from the farmers' market so much this year.  For many years Tuscan kale (aka Lacinato Kale...Dinosaur Kale...Cavolo Nero....) was not being grown for any of my local markets.  I began reading about it long before I was even able to get my hands on some from the grocery store.  It was longer still before I began finding it from local sources.  Now, most of the farmers at my market are growing it....and this year I have been enjoying a steady and delicious supply since early March.

I have also finally jumped on the kale salad band wagon...at least in the sense that I occasionally make kale salad at home.  I mentioned my previous lack of enthusiasm for kale salad in a post earlier this year.  I really do like cooked kale.  It is delicious and so very versatile (in tarts, frittatas/tortillas, grain pilafs, and pastas...  on pizza....  in soup...), so I won't be giving it up in its cooked form any time soon. I choose to see my foray into the world of kale salads as an expansion of my kale horizons rather than a surrender to a food trend.....

I mentioned in that post in March that kale salads are best when dressed ahead.  This is true for most raw vegetable salads...  I have recently posted two perfect examples in my summer coleslaw and in a grated carrot salad I shared last winter.  When given a bit of time, salt and acidity...even the fat...help to soften the crunch of uncooked vegetables.  For my summer kale salad instead of dressing this salad ahead with the actual vinaigrette, I took my lead from a recipe by Marcus Samuelsson and just massaged some cider vinegar, salt and olive oil into the kale leaves (similar to the way I treat my grated carrot salad and my coleslaw).

When you finish the salad right before serving you may use any favorite, tangy vinaigrette.  I have used a couple of different dressings...both of which I often keep on hand.  One is the mustardy red wine vinaigrette I shared last December.  This one works well for this salad because it goes well with sausage (a prominent component of the salad).  The other is the vinaigrette I posted for a Spring Vegetable Salad in June.  This latter vinaigrette is a good fit because it is tangy enough to stand up to raw vegetables....and as I alluded to above, I think of kale as really being more like a shredded vegetable than a lettuce.

Besides the Italian Sausage, my summer kale salad includes a generous quantity of sweet corn.  I love corn.  From the time the early corn hits the market sometime in late June or early July until the very end of the main crop during the month of September, I always have sweet corn on hand.  Roasted, it makes a substantial and delicious addition to summer salads, sides and pastas.  It was inevitable that I would at some point pair it with kale in a salad (I have already paired it with kale in a pasta!).  Toasted pecans, finely sliced red onions and some nutty shaved Parmesan complete the assembly.

This summer kale salad is surprisingly substantial.  I think it makes a great entrée on a hot summer night.  But if you like, you can omit the sausage and serve it as a side to a big grilled steak or chop...or a nice roast chicken.

Summer Kale Salad with Sweet Corn, Italian Sausage & Pecans

1 small bunch (about 1/3 lb.)

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. olive oil

1/4 t. kosher salt

1 link (4 oz.) Italian sausage (hot or sweet...as you prefer)

1 large ear sweet corn in the husk

1/4 to 1/3 c. pecans

1/2 to 3/4 oz. (1/4 to 1/3 c.) thinly shaved red onion, rinsed under cold running water and blotted dry

3/4 oz Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 3 T. shaved),

A couple of tablespoons of a favorite tangy vinaigrette (see below)

Strip the center ribs away from the kale.  Stack the leaves in manageable bunches and cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips/ribbons.  (You will have about 3 oz. trimmed kale.)  Wash thoroughly in several changes of water and spin dry.  Chill until ready to make the salad. (You can wash the greens up to a day ahead.)

When ready to make the salad, place the kale in a salad bowl.  Add the cider vinegar, oil and salt and massage well.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile place the corn directly on the rack of a preheated 375° oven.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and strip away the husks and silks as soon as the corn is cool enough to handle.  (I typically do this immediately.  I simply work quickly...but you can use towels to grab the husks and silks and pull them away.  The sooner you do this the better since the corn will continue to steam inside the intact husk.)  Cut the corn away from the cob.  You should have about a cup of roasted kernels.  Set aside.

While the corn roasts, cook the sausage and toast the pecans.  Brown the sausage in a small ovenproof sauté pan.  Transfer to the oven to finish (in the sauté pan) to finish the cooking process.  Set aside to rest.

Place the pecans in a small baking dish/pan in the oven alongside the corn and toast until fragrant and beginning to take on a pale golden color (about four or five minutes).  When done, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and season with kosher salt.  When cool enough to handle, coarsely crumble.

When ready to serve the salad, slice the sausage in quarter-inch thick rounds. Add to the bowl with the kale.  Add the corn, red onion, pecans and Parmesan.  Season with salt & pepper.  Drizzle with enough of your vinaigrette to lightly coat all of the ingredients.  Toss well.  Taste and correct the seasoning...adding more of the vinaigrette if needed.  Divide between plates and serve with some crusty bread.

Serves 2 as an entrée.

Two possible vinaigrettes:

• Basic Dijon Vinaigrette
• Basic Red Wine Vinaigrette

 Printable Version

Kale & Potato Soup with Garlic Sausage

At the risk of sounding like I'm a paid advertiser for Aidells sausage (I'm not), I am sharing another recipe (the third in less than a month) featuring their Roasted Garlic and Gruyère Sausage.  I have just recently discovered this sausage, and I admit to being a great fan.  At the end of December I featured it in a hearty green salad with roasted potatoes, hard cooked eggs and haricots verts.  Then, I started the New Year with a pizza...with squash and apples...and the aforementioned sausage.  Today, I'm sharing a recipe for one of my favorite soups (Alice Waters' Kale & Potato Soup), made even better by the addition of said sausage.

I have always made this soup pretty much as written in The Art of Simple Food.  The original is nothing more than a rich, sweet onion and garlic scented chicken broth filled with potatoes and curly kale.  But as always, the apparent simplicity is deceptive.  I still remember the first time I made the soup.  I was feeling a bit under the weather on a cold and dreary winter day and the soup tasted so very good.  More than that though, as I ate, it made me feel truly nourished...   I remember just wanting to bury my face in the bowl.  I didn't, of course....but it really was that good.



I made it for the first time a few weeks ago with her optional addition of sausage.  At the time, I think my goal was just to make the soup a bit more substantial....and I happened to have some of the Aidells sausage on hand.  I was surprised by how delighted I was with the result—I really didn't think the soup could be any better.  Clearly I was wrong.  I imagine I'll make it again someday without the addition of the sausage, but for the foreseeable future...probably not.

Kale & Potato Soup with Garlic Sausage

1/4 c. Extra Virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

6 to 8 oz. garlic sausage

2 medium onions (about 12 oz.), thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped

1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced cross-wise 1/4-inch thick

1 large bunch kale (about 8 oz.), stemmed, washed thoroughly and coarsely chopped

Salt & freshly ground

6 cups chicken stock

Freshly grated Parmesan

In a heavy soup pot set over medium heat, warm a thin film of the olive oil. Add the sausage and brown.  Lift out and add the remaining olive oil.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, tender, and slightly browned—about 12 to 15 minutes.  

Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant—1 or 2 minutes.  Add the kale along with a generous pinch of salt and using a tongs, turn to coat.  Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes—the kale will collapse and will begin to soften.  

Uncover and add the potatoes along with another pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 or 3 minutes (so that the potatoes will begin to give up some starch).  Pour in the stock.  Raise the heat, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the kale and potatoes are tender. 

While the soup simmers, slice the sausage in 1/4-inch thick rounds.  Add to the soup for the last ten minutes of cooking.  Taste the soup and add more salt if necessary.  Serve hot and garnish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of cheese.

Makes 2 quarts soup.

Variations:

• Use a precooked sausage such as Kielbasa, Linguiça or Aidells Roasted Garlic & Gruyère Chicken Sausage (my favorite) 
• Waters' original version did not include sausage. You may leave it out and just begin by cooking the onions in all of the oil. 
• You may use any variety of kale that you prefer. Waters' original recipe was for curly kale. I prefer Tuscan. 
• Add 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans with the sausage for a more substantial soup. If using canned, rinse them before adding. If freshly cooked, add them with their cooking liquid. If using canned, you may need to add more broth or water. 

(Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters)  

Printable Version

Winter Squash, Apple & Sausage Pizza

My first thought as we ate the pizza I made for dinner the other night was that it was really good and maybe I should post it to my blog.  My second thought was that even though it was good, it was just a simple pizza...and I had posted other pizzas...and well, maybe I would just let it pass.  Then I thought about the comment I made in my final post of 2016 about sharing more of the simple and basic dishes that appear on my table day in and day out...even if they aren't unusual or "chef-y".  And suddenly this simple pizza seemed like a good way to kick off the year.

Since Christmas, I have not been as focused as I usually am on food.  I have had a little extra time off and have been trying to use that time to attend to things that have fallen by the wayside for too long.  Dinners have been simple, hurried, pantry affairs almost every night.  I make a trip to the store occasionally to make sure I have some basics (seasonal vegetables, fruit, bacon/sausage/ham, grains/pastas, canned tomatoes/beans, eggs/dairy/cheese) and wing it from there to make a pasta, a soup, a salad, a pizza.....  

If pizzas aren't on your list of easy, weeknight meals, they should be.  Because they can be topped with almost any cooked ingredient, they are a great way to use up odds and ends of vegetables and cheeses.  If you have foods on hand that you like to eat, odds are you can come up with a flavorful combination for a pizza.  Just make your dough (more on that in a minute), choose a sauce (plain or seasoned olive oil, tomato sauce, reduced cream, seasoned ricotta...even a vegetable purée) and prepare/cook your toppings while the oven heats.

If you think your oven won't produce a good pizza, think again.  If you have a pizza stone and your oven will hold a temperature of 500° F, your oven is capable of producing a respectable pizza.  If you don't have a stone, you should take some of your holiday gift money (doesn't everyone get gift certificates these days?) and buy one.  It is a very small investment...and one that you won't regret.  While you're at it, pick up a peel (not strictly necessary—I made good pizza for years without one—but using one will produce a superior crust).  Then, stop at the grocery store on the way home and buy a bag of semolina flour (you can of course dust your peel with flour...but a semolina dusted peel is pretty much stick proof).  With practice you will be making consistently delicious pizzas in no time.

As for the dough....if you know how to use your food processor, you can make delicious pizza dough.  I have been making pizza dough for years the old fashioned way—mixing and kneading by hand.  But a couple of years ago I started to make it in the food processor because it's just so quick and easy.  I still occasionally make it by hand....but there is really no reason to other than that I occasionally want to slow down and enjoy the process of kneading.  (I give directions for both methods in the recipe.)  If you are still dubious about making your own, you can probably find a grocery store that sells freshly made dough in their prepared foods department.  I know that Whole Foods does this, and I'm sure there are others.

As I said, last night's pizza was particularly good.  And since it included ingredients that I always have on hand during the fall and winter months (a chunk of winter squash...a Pink Lady apple...shallots...sausage...Dubliner cheese....), I know I will be making it again.  I hope you will make it too...or better yet, come up with a new favorite of your own using the ingredients you like to keep on hand.

Winter Squash, Apple & Sausage Pizza

10 to 12 oz. butternut squash (half of a small to medium squash), peeled, seeded and cut in a 1/2-inch dice (you should have a scant 2 cups)

1 small sweet-tart apple (I like Pink Lady), peeled and cut in a half inch dice (about 1 cup)
Olive oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced using a mandolin

pinch of pepper flakes
1/ 2 t. minced rosemary
1 3 to 4 oz. link cooked sausage (see note), halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick cross-wise on a slight diagonal

1 ball of pizza dough (see below), rested
5 oz. Dubliner cheese (see note), coarsely grated

Place the squash and apples in a bowl and drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and toss well.  Transfer to a small baking sheet (a quarter sheet pan is perfect) and roast in a preheated 450° oven until tender and beginning to brown—about 20 to 25 minutes.

When the vegetables are done roasting, scatter the shallots, rosemary, pepper flakes and sausage over and toss to combine.  Increase the oven temperature to 500°.

Build the pizza: On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a pizza pan, baking sheet or pizza peel that has been dusted with semolina (or flour...or cornmeal).  Spread a thin layer of oil over the crust. Scatter with half of the cheese, followed by the topping mixture, followed by the remaining cheese

If using a pizza pan or baking sheet, place the pizza in the pan on a pre-heated pizza stone in a pre-heated 500° oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is bubbling, about 12 to 15 minutes. To insure a crisp crust, slide the pizza off of the pan and directly onto the pizza stone as soon as the crust is set (after 4 or 5 minutes). 

If using a peel, slide the pizza directly onto the preheated baking stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is bubbling—about 8 to 10 minutes. 

When the pizza is done, transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges and serve.

Note: 

• I like Aidells Roasted Garlic & Gruyère Smoked Chicken Sausage, but any favorite cooked sausage that will go with the squash and apples would be fine. Kielbasa would be excellent. You could also cook a fresh Italian sausage link and cut it in a similar fashion. 
• I love the nutty taste of Dubliner and I always have it on hand. It is a great snacking and melting cheese. It is particularly good with the squash and apples on this pizza...but there are other cheeses that would work well. A good, sharp Cheddar...Fontina...low-moisture Mozzarella...etc. 

Pizza Dough

1/2 cup warm water (100º-110º)

1 1/8 t. (1/2 package) active dry yeast

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. salt

 

Combine the water, yeast, and 3/4 cup of the flour in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the oil, salt and another half cup of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough that holds its shape. Sprinkle some of the remaining quarter cup of flour on a smooth surface. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and sprinkle with a bit more flour. Knead the dough, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed lightly with a finger—about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size—about 1 hour. Punch down the dough. At this point you may use the dough immediately or cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 12 to 24 hours. Pull the dough out of the refrigerator to let it warm up a bit, about an hour before baking the pizza.

 

When ready to make the pizza, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes. The dough is now ready to be shaped, topped and baked.

 

(Crust adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins)

 

Food Processor Method:  Place the water and yeast in a small bowl and let sit until the yeast has dissolved.  Place 1 1/4 cups plus 2 T. of the flour and salt in the food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to blend.  Add the oil and yeast/water mixture and pulse until the dough is homogenous.  Begin to run the mixture in long pulses until the dough is smooth and elastic—it shouldn't take more than a minute.  If the dough seems wet and sticky, add some of the remaining 2 T. of flour a bit at a time, pulsing after each addition.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and give it a few kneads by hand.

Variation for a Whole Wheat Crust: Instead of unbleached all-purpose flour, use 3/4 c. bread flour and 1/2 to 3/4 c. whole wheat flour (any whole wheat flour will work, but I like “white” whole wheat flour).

Printable Recipe

Summer Lasagne...with Swiss Chard, Corn Pesto & Italian Sausage

I never cease to be amazed at the serendipitous way in which a delicious recipe can come together.  Case in point:  Recently, while purchasing dried pasta at the grocery store, I grabbed a box of no-boil lasagne noodles.  I was thinking about the beautiful Swiss chard I had at home and how it might be nice tucked into a lasagne. I didn't really have any specific ideas, other than I knew I had some ricotta in my fridge and consequently a beginning.

It wasn’t until I got home that I began to think about what else might be good.  Tomato sauce is an obvious choice...but the tomatoes really hadn't started to come into their own yet and the few that I had, I wanted to eat raw.  I did have a lot of fresh sweet corn (which is delicious with chard)...but this didn't solve my problem of a sauce...  A béchamel would have worked...but I didn't want anything quite so heavy. 

As it happened, my summer Corn & Zucchini class was approaching and the things that I teach in that class were in the forefront of my mind.  One of the recipes is for a delicious corn pesto.  It occurred to me that the corn pesto would make a pretty fine sauce-y component.  Suddenly, the lasagne fell into place:  Corn pesto, chard (braised with a little onion and garlic), ricotta, more corn...   Italian sausage (I almost always have some in my freezer...and I knew that its salty-sweetness would be just the thing)...  and finally, some low-moisture mozzarella that I happened to have in my cheese drawer.  If I had been purchasing cheese with the purpose of this lasagne in mind, I would have gravitated towards Fontal.  But the mild, faintly sweet, taste of the mozzarella turned out to be the perfect finishing touch.

If you keep regular lasagne (the kind you boil before using) on hand, I'm sure you could boil them and use them instead of the no-boil noodles in this lasagne.  But if you have never tried no-boil noodles, you should.  For one thing, no-boil noodles tend to be thinner than regular lasagne.  This makes for a finished pan of lasagne that is a bit more refined.  Furthermore, no matter how you make it, building lasagne is a project.  No-boil noodles relieve you of at least some of the work and the mess.  I like to dip the no-boil noodles into hot water (in a shallow pan, just off the boil) for a few seconds while I'm building each layer. (It is not necessary to spread them on towels or dry them.)  The quick dip in hot water will help them begin to soften and add the very small amount of moisture they will need to give them a nice tender—but not mushy—texture in the finished dish.  If you cover the baking lasagne with foil until the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time, the noodles will become evenly hydrated, without drying out on the edges.

To make the lasagne, you will need 1 1/4 cups of roasted corn for the pesto and 1 cup to tuck into the lasagne.  This latter amount is an approximation....  I roast 2 to 3 ears of corn—depending on their size—make the pesto, and then add the remaining kernels to the lasagne.  If you have already made the pesto and don't want to roast more corn, simply add raw corn kernels to the onion and chard mixture in place of roasted corn.  If you have never roasted corn in the husk, check out my post from a few years back for a description of how it's done. 

As you look at this lasagne, you may think that it doesn't seem like a very large lasagne...but I think you will find that it is pretty rich.  Depending on what else you might be serving, you could get as many as 6 servings out of it.  I confess that the first time I made it, I didn't serve anything else and I ate a quarter of the pan.  On other occasions—with a side vegetable...or a fresh tomato salad—I have been content with a sixth.  If you are feeding a crowd of big eaters, you could make two pans (or in one big pan if you happen to have a 4 1/2-quart shallow, rectangular dish—like a 15- by 9- inch Pyrex).  The leftovers reheat beautifully, so you may want to make a double batch no matter how many you are feeding, just so you can have another serving all to yourself for lunch the next day.

 Swiss Chard & Corn Lasagne with Italian Sausage

4 to 6 oz. Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed if necessary

1 to 2 T. olive oil

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 c. corn kernels (cut from a raw or roasted ear of corn)

2 fat cloves garlic, minced

1 large bunch chard, stems removed, leaves cut into wide ribbons and rinsed thoroughly

1 c. (240 g) whole milk ricotta

1 oz. (1/3 c.) finely grated Parmesan

Salt & pepper

1 recipe corn pesto

1/4 c. heavy cream

8 "no-boil" lasagna (half of an 8 oz. box)

5 to 6 oz. coarsely grated low-moisture mozzarella

Place a tablespoon of oil in a wide sauté pan and crumble in the Italian sausage.  Place the pan over moderate heat and cook until the sausage is cooked through (no longer pink).  Remove the sausage to a plate. 

If the sausage was very lean, add more oil to the pan.  Add the onion, along with a good pinch of salt and sweat until very tender and beginning to caramelize on the edges—about 10 to 15 minutes (adding more oil if the onions seem dry).  

Add the corn—along with a pinch of salt—to the pan and cook until it is sizzling and hot through...5 minutes or so. 

Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant—less than a minute.  Begin adding the chard to the pan a handful at a time, turning it to coat in the oil and vegetables and adding successive handfuls as the previous handful begins to collapse.  (If the chard was just washed, it will still have water clinging to it that will help it to collapse.  If it was washed ahead, it may be dry...in which case you may need to add a quarter cup or so of water to the pan to create some steam to help the chard wilt.)  When all the chard has been added, cover the pan and cook over low heat until the chard is just tender (about 10 minutes).  Uncover and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated (the ingredients will begin to sizzle in the fat) and the chard is very tender.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.  

While the chard cooks, combine the ricotta and Parmesan in a small bowl.  Add salt & pepper to taste and blend well.  Set aside. 

In another small bowl, combine the pesto and cream.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Set aside.

When you are ready to build the lasagne, oil a square 2-quart baking dish (an 8 1/2- by 8 1/2-inch Pyrex is perfect) and bring a shallow pan of water just to the boil and remove from the heat.  Arrange these two items...along with all the other components—on your workspace so that you have easy access to everything.   Add two of the noodles to the pan of hot water.  Spread a couple of spoonfuls of corn pesto in the bottom of the oiled dish.  (The layer of corn pesto on the bottom should be very thin...no more than a quarter of a cup.  You should have a cup and a half in total of the corn pesto/cream mixture...if you use a scant quarter cup on the bottom...and then a third cup in each layer, you should have a generous quarter cup left to spread on the top) You are now ready to build the lasagne:

Lift the noodles out of the pan. (They should not be soft or flexible at this point...you're just giving them a head start by soaking them briefly—less than a minute.)  Let the excess water drip back in to the pan and arrange them in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.  Add a couple more noodles to the pan of hot water (to soak while you build the first layer).  Spread a third of the chard/corn mixture over the noodles in the lasagne pan. Scatter a third of the sausage over the chard.  

Daub a third of the ricotta over everything.  

Spread a third cup of the pesto over the ricotta (they will marble together a bit...this is fine).  Finally, add an ounce or so (about 1/4 cup) of the grated mozzarella.  

Repeat this process (beginning with the placement of the two noodles) 

two more times.  Finish with two more (soaked) noodles, the remainder of the pesto (spreading evenly) 

and a scattering of the remaining mozzarella (about 2 oz.).

Cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil that has been brushed on the underside with olive oil (or sprayed with pan spray), tenting the foil slightly if possible so that it isn't touching the top of the lasagne.  Bake in a 375° oven until the mozzarella on top has just melted—about 20 to 25 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake until the lasagne is bubbling around the edges and a skewer inserted in the center is hot (160° to 180°).  If the top is not browned to your liking, briefly run the lasagne under the broiler.  Let the lasagne rest for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cut with a sharp knife and serve.  Serves 4 to 6.

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