June was the month I got hooked on Field Roast. If somebody had told me before this month that I’d fall in love with vegan grain sausage, I’d have laughed in their face. But after trying all of the flavors of the company’s sausage links, I’ve become quite a fan. My favorite are the Smoked Apple Sage links, which are great with fried polenta or eggs for breakfast. For this month’s recipe I’m using the Mexican Chipotle links, which I think are particularly suited for this dish.
Be warned: these links are spicy. Personally, I’m not bothered by the heat, since I can bear it and the flavor of the sausage is so good. But for those of you like Ted, for whom spicy foods can cause pain and misery, I’d steer clear of the Chipotle flavor, and maybe opt for the Italian sausage instead. While I don’t think the flavor will be as perfectly suited as the Chipotle, at least you (and your significant other) won’t have to deal with the aftermath.
MAIN DISH
Field Roast With Polenta and Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Tomato Sauce:
-6 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
-2 Tbsp. Red Palm Oil
-a few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
-3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
-sea salt, to taste
Polenta:
-1 cup polenta-style cornmeal
-3/4 cup cold water
-3 1/4 cup boiling water
-1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Sausage:
-1 package (four links) of Mexican Chipotle Field Roast (or Italian, if you prefer)
-1 Tbsp. macadamia nut oil (I use the plain macadamia from Jungle Products)
DIRECTIONS
Start with the tomato sauce, since the flavors will need time to blend well. Spoon red palm oil into well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add diced tomatoes. Cook for about five minutes, until tomato skin is well wilted. Add minced garlic, thyme, and salt; reduce heat to low, and continue to stir occasionally until the other items are finished cooking.
Now make the polenta. In a medium saucepan combine dry polenta with cold water. Add boiling water and salt; place mixture over high heat. Stir frequently until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about ten minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the grain doesn’t stick to the pan. If the polenta is finished cooking before the rest of the meal, just remove from heat and stir it a couple of times until everything else is done.
While the polenta is cooking, it’s time to fry up some Field Roast. The sausage will be cased in plastic, so BE SURE to remove the casing according to package directions. In a medium cast iron pan, heat the macadamia nut oil on medium. Once oil is hot, add Field Roast links to pan. Brown links on one side for a few minutes, then roll them over and brown the other side. Since there’s no meat in this sausage, your objective is to thoroughly heat the links and brown them well for the best flavor.
When serving, add some polenta to each dish, then place sausage next to polenta, and spoon tomato sauce over entire dish. If you’d like to add steamed broccoli to the meal, that will add some green to the plate, and the vegetable is delicious with the tomato sauce.
Serves four.
DESSERT
Fresh Peaches and Cream
To serve four, take four ripe peaches and slice them, removing the skin if desired. Arrange in bowls, sprinkle with sugar, and cover them lightly in cream. I prefer raw cream from Organic Pastures, I find the flavor and texture to be the best. Plus, you get the added benefits of grass-fed raw dairy, which are numerous and important. However, if you’re not comfortable with raw dairy, use organic cream from grass-fed cows, wherever you can find it.
MUSIC
Album: The Traveling Wilburys, Traveling Wilburys Collection
Finally, FINALLY, someone’s released music from The Traveling Wilburys. This amazing band, which consisted of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison (for a while), and Jeff Lynne, was the original SuperGroup. Though some of the songs are decidedly eighties in sound, you can’t deny that these brilliant musicians made sweet music together.
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