I’m back!  I have no excuses for not blogging — I’ve just been busy doing — things! What things?  I’m not going to insult you and give you the list I reserve for my husband and kids when they ask “What did you do today?”  I’ll give you the modified list — just stuff!

Anyway — my brother John visited me from Virginia last week and we got to talking about — what else– food.  He gave me his recipe for Escarole & Beans.  It’s a twist on our Nana’s.  I made it last night — it was delicious!  It turns out another poor man’s dish from back in the day is now quite gourmet!

You will need:  1/4 cup good olive oil; 1 small onion, diced; one of the following (2 sweet Italian sausages, casing removed; 2 apple/chicken sausages (Costco has them); or Pancetta); 3 cloves garlic,diced small; 2 red potatoes, cubed small; one 14.5 ounce can chicken broth; 2 heads escarole, throughly cleaned and chopped;1 can of cannelli beans, rinsed; salt and pepper to taste.

In a heavy sauce pan, such as LeCreuset, heat the olive oil, add the onion and sauté till onions are translucent (8-10 minutes). While the onions are cooking prepare your sausage.  If you are using Italian sausage, remove from casing. If you are using apple chicken sausage dice it into bite size pieces.  If using Pancetta dice it small.  Add your sausage and sauté with onion till sausage is cooked through.  Add the garlic — do not burn!  Cook just until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.

Add the chicken broth, scraping the pan for any small crusty bits of sausage. Add the potatoes, and the escarole — all of it. Bring to a boil put the top on and lower heat to a simmer.  Stir occasionally.  When the escarole shrinks down, add the beans.  Cook until escarole and potatoes are tender.

What else do you need to serve this old school dish? — Crusty bread — and wine, of course!  Mangia bene, vivi felice!