Photo and text by KARA
DiCAMILLO/ecoRI.org News contributor
This past weekend I
visited Aquidneck Island’s new winter farmers market in Portsmouth to see what
vegetables I could find in addition to a few other items.
I learned from Karla
Simmons of Simmons Organic Farm that farmers had a tough time growing Brussels
sprouts this year so that item has, unfortunately, been eliminated from my
menu. But what I was happy to find was almost all of my ingredients for my
stuffing. I bought the bread, apples and sausage at the market, and while I’ve
never included butternut squash, I decided to try it as well.
Stuffing is one of my
favorite elements of Thanksgiving dinner and the squash added yet another great
flavor. You can stuff your local turkey and cook it as you would, or you can
cook the stuffing in a casserole dish. Serve the glazed turnips or mashed turnips and
potatoes as the perfect holiday accompaniment.
Apple, Squash and
Sausage Stuffing
Serves 4-6
Serves 4-6
1 loaf of day old
bread, cubed
1 stick of butter, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup of water
Salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 pound of sausage, casings removed
1 butternut squash, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon each of sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley
1 cup of walnuts, chopped
2 apples, cubed
1 can of chicken broth
1 stick of butter, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup of water
Salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 pound of sausage, casings removed
1 butternut squash, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon each of sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley
1 cup of walnuts, chopped
2 apples, cubed
1 can of chicken broth
In a deep pan melt a
stick of butter in the water and add the bread. Stir to incorporate the liquid,
season with salt and pepper, and then set aside.
Heat a large sauté pan
over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Break it up with a wooden spoon and
sauté until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a bowl
and set aside. Then, in the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the
squash, onion, celery, herbs, and salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are
translucent and the squash is tender, and then add the walnuts. Sauté for about
a minute, and add the apple as well as the sausage. Sauté for another minute
and then transfer the mixture to the pan with the bread and combine.
Transfer to a greased casserole dish and pour
the chicken broth over the top. Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove
the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the top is browned.
