After a killer heatwave that leeched out every ounce of energy, today I woke to stormy skies, gusting winds, and blessed coolness. It is marvelous and I’m loving every second of it.

In between editing photos and writing articles, I took some time to recharge a bit with a glass of wine, quiche, and season one of White Collar. Tonight ended a perfectly good day with a warm summer rain.

I’ve been experimenting further with making homemade sausage: Smoky Hungarian, Sage Maple breakfast patties, and this week, Italian sausage.

It’s definitely one of my favorites thus far, mostly because it requires toasted fennel seeds which smell so darn good I can hardly stand it.

toasted fennel seeds

Add to that a bit of ground anise seed, some minced garlic, smoked paprika, fresh Italian parsley and a liberal dose of sea salt and pepper and you’re good to go. Mix it well then cover and let it sitΒ  in the fridge for a day or two to let the flavors meld.

After that you can form it into patties, fill casings to form links, or just crumble it into a frying pan for soup or quiche.

Italian sausage mix

I added mine to a crock pot Potato Kale Sausage Soup. It smelled so good slow cooking for hours, the fennel standing out but not overpowering the other flavors.

Italian sausage soup

What is your favorite stormy weather food?

Italian Sausage Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked mild paprika
1/2 tsp ground anise seed
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

Directions:

  1. Place ground pork in a medium bowl.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
  3. Cover and chill in fridge for 12-24 hours.
  4. Shape and cook as desired.

Potato Kale Sausage Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, sliced thinly
2-3 carrots
6 potatoes scrubbed and/or peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
large bunch kale, chopped
1 tsp dried or fresh thyme
1 can cream of asparagus soup
1 pound Italian sausage, fried and crumbled
water
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk or light cream

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients except water, cheese and milk in crock pot.
  2. Cover with water, place lid on pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
  3. Add cheese and milk, stir to combine, and cook for another hour.
  4. Serve warm.