We have been on vacation and it has been lovely! Our afternoons have been spent relaxing by the water, playing cards, going on bike rides & watching sunsets!  Our conversations seem to navigate to “how can we make it work, so that we can live here?”  It has been wonderful!!

When we go to the beach, we tend to cook home most nights.  I like to try things that I typically would not cook at home.  Sounds fun…until you realize that your vacation rental does not supply you with Staub Dutch Ovens!  So, I went for something out of my realm, but easy enough to make at the beach!

I almost never cook Italian.  Glenn (my husband) was an Italian Chef for over 12 years.  And really, he is the one who should be manning this blog!  He is an absolute artist when it comes to so many things, but food is truly one of them.  He has the talent to turn anything into a masterpiece and he does it effortlessly.  I am hoping he will let me share some of his secrets along the way!

Back to the Bolognese……

This recipe is a bit different from the traditional ones we are used to.  It does not have a strong tomato base. I adapted it from Barbara Lynch’s STIR cookbook She calls for chicken livers and offers the option of different ground meats (veal, pork, lamb)  in her recipe.  Being on a smaller Island, with limits to ingredients, I ended up with this.  However, I plan to try her recipe correctly one of these days!

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
• 3/4 lb ground pork
• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1.5 cups dry red wine
• 1.5 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 14.5 ounce can of chopped canned tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• a couple pinches of salt & fresh ground pepper
• Freshly grated Parmigiano cheese (or any other italian cheese)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or a dutch oven if you have one, over a medium heat.  Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook stirring every now & then until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the sage and season with a pinch of salt & ground pepper.  Add the ground meat in a few batches, letting it brown a little before adding more.  Season with another pinch of salt & fresh ground pepper.  Continue cooking & stirring until the meat is cooked fully.  Pour off most of the fast.  Add the wine, and increase the heat to high & boil, stirring occasionally, until the wine is almost gone.  This will take 10-12 minutes.  Add the broth, tomatoes & basil.  Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.  You should see an occasional bubble, but not a boil.  Cook uncovered until the sauce is rich & thick, for a good hour.  (It can cook longer over a low heat & will only get better!)  Stir in the cream, if using, and simmer for at least 10 more minutes.

I served this over pasta with a lovely salad & fresh strawberries!  We had left overs and then next night we added this meat sauce to a jar of my husbands red sauce that he makes in batches.  It was really delicious that way too!!

 

 

 

 

Another Beautiful Sunset!

Cheers!