TOMATO & SAUSAGE

SUMMER STEW

 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, at least 3 inches long

3 cups chicken broth

2 tsp olive oil

6 pork sausages, preferably a heritage-breed variety such as Berkshire

1 celery rib, finely chopped

½ red pepper, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 ½ pints cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I used whatever tomatoes I had, chopped up)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn  

 *I doubled the whole recipe except the sausages and added 3 potatoes, chopped. Instead of potatoes, it might be nice to add barley, lentils, or rice. I also put in half the basil leaves directly into the soup rather than as a garnish.   

Simmer the rind with broth in a small saucepan until it becomes flavourful (20-25 mins)

Remove from heat.

Remove rind and discard.

Coat a large frying pan with oil (I used my 5 quart Dutch oven) and set over medium-high heat.

Add sausages and cook til golden (10-15 mins).

Add celery, red pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened slightly (about 3 mins).

Carefully add tomatoes and cook til tomatoes soften slightly (about 2 more mins).

Slowly pour in broth.

Gently simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat, allowing flavours to infuse and sausage to cook through (this is also when I added the potatoes).

Cook about 10-15 mins.

Serve sausages whole or remove and carefully slice into pieces and add back to the stew.

Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Garnish with a few fresh basil leaves and serve stew with crusty bread for dipping.

If making ahead of time, stew will keep well, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.