Sausage

I am still trying to get settled with my move and wanted to start with something from where I am....but that is not ready yet so lets do sausage.  You love it or hate it I think - seems most people I know anyway.  In Wisconsin the sausage of choice has been bratwurst.  Many are made here because there is an abundance of German heritage.  Sausage can differ dramatically depending on the ingredients, additives, curing techniques, shape and whether it is fresh or cooked.

Sausage when you are gluten and soy free can be a problem.  If you read your ingredients you will find most have one or the other as a filler.  If you really search you can find pure sausage with no fillers or artificial anything.  Whole Foods Market is one place that makes their own.  Some are gluten free and some are both soy and gluten free.  They also carry some brands from old time sausage makers that are also pretty pure.  I  have found local farmers getting into the act and having more pure types made.  So if you really look around they are out there.

One thing I have discovered on this gluten free adventure is the bread is a work in progress.  Hamburger and hot dog buns don't really appeal to me, especially the gluten free kind.  So I have adopted a different approach to sausage.  I serve it over gluten free pasta.  We have been having it this way some time now and prefer it.

This isn't so much a recipe as a suggestion for a different way to serve sausage.  This picture features Yak sausage.  Actually they called it a Yak bratwurst.  Yes Yak.  We have a local farmer raising these animals and they made sausage with it.  Very interesting for something different.  An extremely lean meat and grass fed.

In my new location I have already found an apple bratwurst.  So start searching and you might discover a new sausage.

Sausage

We just cook all our sausage on the grill according to the type we are making.  Some take longer than others.  Just follow the package or ask the sausage maker.  Some are precooked and only need heating.  Make sure you know if it's fresh or cooked.

For the pasta I just make any combination of what I have from my gluten free pantry which is always Tinkyada rice pasta.  Just cook according to the package directions.  I add olive oil and fresh herbs once cooked.

I always  feature some vegetable with the combination.  In this dish I used asparagus and onions that I just sauteed in olive oil.

That's it.  Explore sausage it's a big adventure.