Autumn Fruit Green Salad & Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

Shopping List:1 apple
1 pear
1 head Romaine or 1 bag of Spinach
Feta cheese
Parmesan cheese
Dried Cranberries
Almonds or walnuts
Maple syrup
Harvest Goodies Poppy Seed
Dressing
Pasta (we used penne)
I pkg Earlidale Garlic Sausage
1 onion
1 clove garlic
Bay leaf, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Chicken or vegetable broth
Pumpkin
Evaporated milk


Recipe for Autumn Fruit Tossed Green Salad:
Modified from Simply in Season cookbook

6-8 cups romaine or spinach, torn into bite sized pieces
¼ - ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (or shredded parmesan cheese)
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup almonds or walnuts – can be carmelized (see below)
1 apple quartered and chopped
1 pear quartered and chopped
Toss altogether with Harvest Goodies Poppy Seed Dressing
Carmelized nuts:
Drizzle 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup over nuts and toast in oven at 350F until nuts are toasted and coated. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Recipe for Pumpkin Sausage Pasta:
From Simply in Season cookbook

500 g penne pasta or other chunky pasta
Cook, drain, and set aside.

1 lb Earlidale Garlic Pork Sausage
In a large deep frypan, remove sausage from casing and brown over medium high heat. When cooked, remove meat and set aside. Drain fat from frypan and return to stove.

1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Add to frypan and sauté until soft, 3-5 minutes.

1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp fresh sage, or 1 scant tsp dried sage
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Add and cook until half of liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes.

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup pumpkin or winter squash, cooked and puréed
Mix in. Continue stirring until sauce starts to bubble. Add sausage and reduce heat.

½ cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and pepper to taste
Stir in milk. Add seasonings and simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken. Remove bay leaf. Pour sauce over cooked pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh sage leaves. (optional)