Tomatoes and Sausage Bake

It’s been one year of happy cooking and blogging. Can you believe it? It’s been a good experience overall… sometimes I’ve thought about stopping blogging because I get lazy and don’t feel like updating my blog on weekly basis. But this is too much fun.

I have a very good recipe for you but, before we get to it, I want to talk to you about something that has been on my mind lately. For the past year I have avoided discussing politics or other more serious matters because this is a cooking blog. However, there are some serious issues that do need to be discussed and talked about because our health and the health of the planet are at stake: our food supply.

If you read my blog often you probably know that I am a big supporter of organic farming and healthy eating. No, I am not trying to be a “yuppie” or a “hipster.” I am trying to feed my body with vegetables, fruits and meats that contain no pesticides, that are not genetically engineered, that come from farms that I know are paying fair wages to their workers, and that engage in environmentally-friendly processes. “Why bother? Organic foods are more expensive” you may say. This is why:

1. Most of the food we eat has been heavily processed and is full of chemicals. As a result, we’ve lost one-third of America’s original topsoil; buried toxic waste everywhere; and polluted and depleted water systems, worsened global warming (yes, it is happening), and exacerbated ailments ranging from cancer to obesity.

2. Obesity may soon surpass lung cancer as the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States. As a rule of thumb, try to avoid golden/brown foods.

3. Frankenfoods are scary. Animal genes, and even human genes, are randomly inserted into the chromosomes of plants, fish and animals. And the FDA does not require companies to inform consumers that the foods we are buying have been genetically modified.

4. The majority of farms inject cows, pigs and, chickens with high doses of antibiotics and hormones.

5. Slavery still exists on many farms scattered throughout the country where migrant workers work long hours, are paid less than the minimum wage, work in unsafe conditions, and receive no health-care. Furthermore, because there are few regulations, these farm works are exposed to a very high amount of pesticides that have been proved to cause cancer.

Unfortunately, these issues are just the tip of the iceberg. We take care of our appearance, we take care of our house, cars and clothes, but… are we taking care of what we are putting in our bodies? To be well, you have to eat well. That is a fact. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable knowing that a majority of the meat I eat comes from animals that have been injected with hormones, has been fed a combination of animal waste and genetically engineered corn, and comes from farms where animals live in inhumane conditions. I also don’t feel comfortable eating vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides, with water contaminated with animal waste, and that is picked by workers who are not paid fairly. For these reasons I try to eat organic vegetables, fruits and meats. I also try to support local farms where I have the opportunity to meet the people who work the land, the animals, and their workers. Is it more expensive? Yes, but I rather pay extra money than adding pesticides and hormones to my menu.

To learn more about these issues watch the documentary Food Inc. If you live in the central Pennsylvania area and are interested in organic food, visit Spiral Path Farm (vegetable CSA) and North Mountain Pastures (meat CSA).

Ok, now that I got that out my chest, I feel a lot better. Now, back to the recipe I promised you. Several months ago I was exercising on the treadmill and watching the food channel as entertainment (yes, I am masochist) when I saw Jamie Oliver cooking pork sausage over tomatoes. The dish, although very simple, looked beyond delicious. A few weeks later, when I got spicy Italian sauce from my meat CSA, North Mountain Pastures, I decided to make the dish. Fortunately, I still had some (organic) tomatoes from my garden – which by the way won the 2011 Top Tomato competition our friend Lauren hosts every year. I put the two together on large glass dish, added sliced onions, chopped garlic, fresh thyme and oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. I proceeded to put the dish in the oven for 20 minutes and voila, dinner was ready. Let me tell you, the tomatoes, onion and garlic were roasted to perfection. The Italian sausage was just perfectly cooked. The dish was as good as it looked on TV. It was such a simple dish but so very delicious. I was very tempted to eat the whole dish. I still don’t know how I stopped myself from doing that.

If you are short on time but want to have a memorable dinner, this dish is for you. It is fast, easy and delicious. What else can you ask for?



Italian Sausage from North Mountain Pastures



Tomatoes and Sausage Bake

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:

1 pound ripe tomatoes (quartered)
2 prigs each of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
4-5 good-quality Italian pork sausages
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Directions:

1. In a large roasting tray put in all your tomatoes, the herb sprigs, oregano, garlic and sausages. Drizzle well with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss together, then make sure the sausages are on top.

2. Turn on your oven using the “broil” option. Put the tray in the oven. After 10/15 minutes, turn the sausages and vegetables around.  Cook for another 10/15 min.

3. Once it’s cooked, check the seasoning and serve with a good-quality loaf of bread.