This cassoulet is non-traditional in a couple ways but it includes some of the key components of the ‘peasant’s dish’: beans, various meats, and veggies all of which are slow cooked for hours. What you get on the other end is a bowl full of soupy, sweet and savory, meaty, stick-to-your-ribs union of flavors that may or may not be the best bite of beans you’ve ever put in your mouth. There’s a lot going on in every bite. A lot.
Kale and Italian Sausage Lasagna with Pumpkin Béchamel
This autumn lasagna was inspired at the Portland Farmer’s Market amid the baskets of pumpkins and squash and the piles of kale. Since the air is cooler, I naturally gravitate towards rich food, and this certainly is that. Layers of kale, italian sausage, sugar-pie pumpkin béchamel, herbed-ricotta, and fresh mozzarella marry perfectly between lasagna noodles. The béchamel base is that of the one-and-only Julia Child with some pureed cooked pumpkin and nutmeg added for depth.