Busy 2014! Now, getting back to business!

It’s that time of the year again! Time to stock up on sausage for the holidays! I don’t know about everyone else, but we have had one crazy year!!!!!  At the end of last year, I had to have major shoulder surgery, I went in to have a bone spur removed and it turned into reconstructive surgery. I was down for several months with recovery and physical therapy. My step-daughter bought her first house and the remodeling project started…. no surprise I was volunteered to head up that effort. That huge project is almost done and the best part — We are having Thanksgiving Dinner at her house. That means noooooo cooking for me, haha, well let’s say minimal cooking for me,  I will be making the traditional sausage stuffing (recipe to come later!).  But the best part, no cleaning up!

This summer my wife and I took one of the trips on our bucket list. We went to Alaska for almost 2 weeks. It was a blast! We drove from Anchorage to Seward and on to Homer, enjoyed some awesome fishing, glaciers, and  saw some amazing wildlife. We would love to go back next year, and maybe even bring back some of that wild game for some new sausage recipes!

Now that it is fall, we are getting our game plan together, and will get back into the swing of things with All Things Sausage! We are putting our order in for the meat, mixing seasonings, and setting everything up! We have been testing out some new recipes we can’t wait to share, along with setting up some tasting venues, and possible events. Stay tuned for some exciting new adventures!

Where does your food come from?

Check out this video! 11 year old Birk Baehr wants you to know where your food comes from and what’s in it. Amazing kid!

Mother’s Day Breakfast!

Mother’s Day is just about a week away! Are you ready???

One of my Mom’s favorite dishes is Dave’s Country Style Quiche. It’s a perfect and easy breakfast or brunch for just about anyone to make. This meal is a great way to pamper your mom, whether you bring her breakfast in bed, or set the table with flowers. Dressed up or dressed down; it’s perfect by itself, or with a side of fresh fruit.

We love this dish not only for breakfast but for dinner also! If you already have plans or a tradition for breakfast, don’t forget about dinner after a fun day with Mom!

Country Style Quiche – For Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

Ingredients:
–  Ready to Bake Pie Crust box with 2 crusts
–  10 Eggs
–  3 Cups Half & Half
–  1/2 -1 lb. Country Style Breakfast Sausage (Sweet is also good)
–  2 Medium Potatoes (optional)
–  1 (4 oz) can of diced Ortega Chilies
–  2 Cups of Broccoli Crowns chopped
–  1 Cup of diced Purple Onion
–  1 Clove of Garlic diced or minced
–  1 Cup of diced Tomato
–  Salt and Pepper to taste
–  1/2 – 1 Teaspoon of Oregano
–  2 1/2 Cups of grated Cheese (Sharp or Colby Jack) (Save 1/2 Cup for the end)
–  Additional vegetables are optional such as Mushrooms, Asparagus, Red or   Orange Bell Pepper, or anything else you have on hand or you prefer!

Step One:
In a medium to large frying pan brown the sausage on medium low. Once the sausage is browned, place sausage in separate bowl for later use. Keep the drippings in frying pan. Meanwhile, cut up the veggies.

Step Two:
Place chopped garlic, onions, and broccoli into drippings in frying pan, and sauté until medium soft. Meanwhile, microwave 2 medium potatoes for 3 minutes. This is to soften them, but not cook them completely. Let potatoes cool slightly then cut into cubes.

Step Three:
Beat eggs in a large bowl (you will add other ingredients to this bowl later) then add half & half, salt and pepper, oregano, and beat again.

Step Four:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9×13 baking dish with non stick baking spray (we prefer the olive oil spray). Line the baking dish with pie crusts, covering the bottom and sides.

Step Five:
Add sausage, potatoes, sautéed veggies, tomato, and 2 Cups of cheese to the eggs and mix well. Pour into baking dish.

Step Six:
After the oven is preheated put in baking dish uncovered, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes. Check by inserting a knife into the center of the quiche. If knife doesn’t comes out clean continue baking for about 5 -10 minutes until the knife comes out clean. Then turn off oven, and top with remaining cheese. Let set until cheese is melted and Enjoy!

Great served with your favorite Salsa!

Sausage Sandwiches Dave’s Way

Sausage Sandwiches are one of our family’s favorite sausage meals. We always make them after we grind a new batch of sausage. It’s quick and easy, but most of all delicious! We will make them out of all the different flavors, and usually as we start to sell out of flavors we use what we have the most of.  However, we are slightly divided in what flavor is everyone’s favorite, half like the Sweet the other half Mama Mia. We can’t wait for you to try the recipe, and tell us what your favorite is???

Sausage Sandwiches Dave’s Way

What you need…

• 4 – 8 Hard Rolls (Your choice)
• 1 ½ lbs of Dave’s Gourmet Sausage (Flavor of your choice) (Our favorites are Sweet and Mama Mia)
• 2 Orange Bell Peppers
• 2 Yellow Bell Peppers
• 2 Medium – Large Purple Onions
• ½ Cup of Olive Oil

Step One:

Slice peppers and onions into long strips. Then set aside

Take linked sausage and separate into individual links. Pinch in the middle of the link to squeeze out sausage. Form sausage into patties the same shape as your rolls. (Creates 4-6 Patties)

Step Two:

Get out 2 large frying pans, one for the veggies (cast iron optional) and the other for the sausage.  In the pan for the veggies add ½ cup of olive oil and heat approximately 3 minutes on Medium High. Add all the peppers and onions, stirring occasionally. Cook peppers and onions until soft, veggies will be done, and turn off heat. In second pan place your sausage patties, then add about ¼ inch of water. Heat to Medium High, flip patties occasionally until water has evaporated, then brown patties on both sides. Once browned meat is done, and  then turn off heat.

Step Three:

Toast rolls in oven at 350 for about 5 minutes (optional).  On one side of the roll, put a big scoop of peppers and onions including some olive oil, then place sausage patty on top of peppers and onions. Add another scoop of peppers and onions on top of patty, and cover with other side of roll. This insures olive oil on both sides of the roll. Now ready to Enjoy!

Serves 4 people.

Optional Sides – Green salad, potato salad, or your favorite side dish!

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BBQ Traditions

Spring is in the air. The days are longer, and it’s starting to get warmer here on the Central Coast. The kid’s are itching for summer vacation, and parents are starting to plan activities, trips to the lake, camping, and BBQs. Once the activities are planned, next on the list is food! That means sausage! Along with the steaks, instead of just a plain hot dor hamburger, as an appetizer, or as the main meal. Our family loves to snack on BBQ sausage as we wait for the steaks to be done, and have it as part of the main meal. When the kids were young they loved sausage dogs with all the fixings. They taste better and are healthier! The kids loved the Sweet Italian or the Cheese, and the adults the Medium, Hot, or the brave ones Mama Mia.

Inspirational Farmers and Ranchers

Dave’s Gourmet Sausage prefers to raise our own pork. We buy locally bred piglets, and raise them to the perfect butchering size. We believe that raising our own animals, giving them natural foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and giving them space to run around as well as root around makes the best meat. The pigs have a large pen with deep straw beds, dirt to root through, shade, and sun. Our animals are let out to run and play, eat fresh grass, and do what pigs do best, Root! We care for our animals all the way up until they are ready to be butchered, and even then we take care to make it quick and painless. We keep the process as stress free as possible. This is also important for the flavor of the meat. When the animals get stressed they release adrenalin and that depletes the sugar from the muscle, which can lead to less flavorful and tougher meat.

As a small operation we are inspired by other small operations that use similar concepts. Operations that encourage humane treatment of their animals, natural foods, natural environments, and no hormones. The Niman Ranch is a prime example; it started in the early 1970s as a small northern California family farm that believed in traditional humane husbandry methods, wholesome all-natural feeds, and quality for the best tasting meats. In 1995 Paul Willis a hog farmer from Iowa wanted to revitalize hog farming, and bring their methods to the Northwest, he joined the Niman’s network. Since then, there are now over 700 independent farmers and ranchers all over the United States that are a part of Niman Ranch. We think it is inspiring that there are so many farmers and ranchers that want to be a part of this network, and have made a commitment to humanely raised animals, fed all vegetarian feeds, and never given hormones.

You can check out the Niman Ranch website; they have great information about their practices, recipes, and you can even meet the chefs that work with them throughout the country. They also have a fun blog that lets you get to know them a little more personally!

Image by Niman Ranch Website (http://ww.nimanranch.com/Protocols.aspx)

 

What Dave’s Gourmet Sausage is all about!

Dave’s Gourmet Sausage is in memory of Dave’s dad (Ray).  Ray worked in a butcher shop when he was a young man. His job was to make the sausage. He trimmed the meat, cut off the trimmings and excess fat. He started to make the sausage when the owner came in, and asked him what he was doing. Ray said, he was separating the good stuff from the bad to make the sausage. The owner said, no we use everything, mix it all in. From that point on Ray vowed he would never buy store-bought sausage again.

He started on his quest over 65 years ago to make the perfect sausage. He tried several recipes, mixing, and matching until he found the best ingredients and flavors. Ray always got the best quality meats, trimmed them to perfection, and added the freshest ingredients to make his homemade sausage. Dave wants to carry on his father’s dream of making good quality sausage, and not something made from the leftovers.

 

Dave’s Gourmet Sausage wants to share with customers a new and healthier alternative to traditional store-bought sausage. The family recipe is full of flavor, contains less fat, and no preservatives. We make our sausage from quality meats, using as often as possible hand raised meats with no hormones, drugs, or additives. This is beneficial to people who are looking to add healthier choices to the family menu, or people who are looking for an alternative to mass production meats. Also, we will be giving people the options of the traditional pork sausage, along with a variety of other meats such has beef, chicken, and wild game.

 

The main goals of our blog are to educate readers to the difference between our quality sausage and the typical store brand sausage; introduce them to new recipes, and the concept that sausage doesn’t have to be a side dish. It can be the main meal. Also, to start conversations about what people are looking for in sausage, flavors, types, different meats, and their favorite recipes or meals. We want to know what everyone’s favorite sausage is.  Do they like spicy, extra spicy, sweet, or maybe breakfast? We want people to have fun with our blog, take away some great new ideas, and come back to share their great ideas.