Pasta with Kale and Hot Italian Sausage & Garden Update

The last two nights have been beautiful.  Dann & I have arrived home from work, spent a little time working in the garden and then let the ladies out for an evening stroll.  They enjoy taking a short walk which involves them (ok, and us) eating as many black raspberries as can be reached, and then stopping by the end of the potato bed for a nice long dust bath (them, not us).  During bath time Dann & I grab our chairs and sit nearby chatting about the day and dreaming of days to come while we watch the ladies throw dirt everywhere and listen to them purr.


The garden is doing great, the corn is taller than me now, I see tons of baby pumpkins and little green tomatoes are everywhere. The beans, cucumbers and squash are all starting to come in and I harvested six bulbs of garlic last night.  While greens (kales and lettuces) are still a daily treat, the added variety is just around the corner (ok, the pumpkin is more than just around the corner, but it is so cute!!).

 Oh, did I fail to mention the berries?  I have been enjoying the fruits of my labor from my wrangling of the briar patch back in the spring.  The black raspberries on the trimmed limbs are much more plump than those on the yet to be tackled side of the patch. AND our blueberries have started coming in!  YUM!

So on nights like tonight when I don't want much hastle or fuss I turn to a quick easy meal that allows me to use my freshly harvested garlic along with some dinosaur kale from the garden.  The sausage is from the farmers market and the pasta and cheese are from that scary store...Wegmans. 

Pasta with Kale and Hot Italian Sausage


Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Add the Kale during the last 30 seconds of cooking.  Strain and set aside.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan heat some olive oil, add freshly crushed garlic to taste (I used 2 small cloves as fresh garlic is just that - fresh - a nice POP of flavor!).  Heat through.

Our Hot Italian sausage is leftover from grilling the night before so I simply broke it up and added it to the oil and garlic during the last minute of cooking.

Combine pasta, kale, and sausage mixture stirring gently.  Serve with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

For a light refreshment with your dinner why not add some frozen berries to your wine?  My only problem now is that I'm drinking trying to get a berry....  Bottoms up!