Butternut Squash Hash with Potato, Sausage, Egg and Chard

It”s a terrible photo, I know. You see, I was in such a rush to start eating this mash up of deliciousness that I attempted to take a photo of it with my iPhone in very bad light. It is clear to see – or is it blurry to see (heh heh), that it did not work out so well. “Oh bother” as little Winnie the Pooh would say, it does not matter much, as the real gem of this post is to be found in the recipe. I insist that you make this. Trust me on this one, it is delicious and super easy and all of the ingredients can be found in season right now. I am a little unsure of the feeling I was having as I was whipping this up – but I believe that the feeling was “fun”. I think it may have been the anticipation of getting to crack some eggs on something at the end and watch them dribble through all the nooks and crannies of the dish that evoked these feelings as I buzzed through the recipe. I found this recipe on this blog – www.alloveralbany.com which is foodie inspirational and fabulous! The recipe caught my eye, as the cook who runs that blog had the exact same blue cast iron pan that I have and love. The full post and recipe can be found here on her page at  http://alloveralbany.com Sausage and Butternut Squash Hash with Baked Eggs 3 links hot Italian local sausage (about ¼ pound) – check out Bacon Acres and Field Gate Organics ¼ cup diced local onion (about ½ medium) 2 cloves Ontario garlic, minced 1 butternut squash (approx 2 pounds), peeled and diced – these are everywhere right now! 1 medium Ontario potato, diced ½ cup apple cider 3 leaves of chard, chopped Eggs (however many you want) 2 Tbs fresh oregano Sea salt and black pepper Squish the sausage from it”s casing and crumble it into a hot, oven-safe pan set over medium heat. Cook the sausage completely and then remove it from the pan and set it aside. Next, throw in your chopped onion and garlic to the original pan and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until they soften. Next, add the squash, potato, and cider. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Keep cooking the squash and potato mixture, do not let it burn and adjust your heat settings as needed.Your oven should heat up in about 6 – 10 minutes and once it reaches 400 the hash should be ready – I found it was probably about 15 minutes of cooking time for me by the time the potatoes were cooked through and the squash became soft. Once you feel the postoes are cooked, add the sausage back into the hash, along with the chard. Stir it until the chard wilts. Turn of your heat and remove pan to side. Now, for the fun part! Create several shallow holes in the hash (one hole for each egg). Crack each egg into it”s hole. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the egg whites are set. I did not trust that the eggs were set because they looked a little jelly-like still, but I have to say to trust the 10 minute, or 12 minutes and remove from oven. You can then season with salt and pepper, and serve. Serves 2!  Read More

Bacon Acre Farms

Bacon and Egg on a Bagel | Photo: Kelly Hunt Breakfast: To break the fast from the previous evening. Breakfast on Saturdays sometimes includes bacon at our house. Sean would eat it every day if he could get away with it, but we all know that is not good for you and since I would like to enjoy breakfast with him for many years to come, I have to keep him in check – which understandably, he does not like too much! Sean is the bacon expert in our house, he loves the stuff and when he cooked this bacon up for the first time from Bacon Acre Farms he stated that it is now “his favourite bacon” and “the best bacon that I ever bought” and of course, “get more of this bacon”. He knows his bacon people, so I have to go with him on this one. Bacon Acre Bacon | Photo: Kelly Hunt I purchased this bacon from Sharon Kodde who is one half of Bacon Acre Farms. Sharon and her husband Gerald run a farm on Elginfield Road/ Hwy 7,  just north of London. Sharon can be found selling their delicious pork products on Thursdays at the Exeter Farmer”s Market (3 – 7 pm) and on Fridays at the North London Masonville Farmer”s Market (8 am – 2 pm). You can also purchase their products from the farm gate if you call ahead of time. I loved meeting Sharon, she is so happy and has so much energy and is eager to answer any questions you have about the farm and the piggies. Pork Burgers | Photo: Kelly Hunt I also bought some of Bacon Acre”s pork burgers. These are thinner than I what you expect of a beef burger, but once I tried them, I realized they pack a flavorful porky punch! These are really tasty and I will be adding these to my summer BBQ roster. Bacon Acre product list: Sausage: Farmers Coil, Italian Links, Smoked Links, Precooked Oktoberfest and Breakfast Links Italian Ground Pork, Regular Ground Pork Bacon Pork Burgers Pork Chops Smoked Pork Chops Boneless Ham Roast Boneless Smoked Ham Roast Smoked Pork Hocks Marinated Paprika Steaks Spare Ribs (side) Schnitzel (not breaded) Black Forest Ham Bacon Acre Farms 15429 Elginfield Rd. (Hwy 7) Granton, ON  N0M 1V0 519-225-2001 email: gs.kodde@quadro.net  Read More