Sausage and Root Vegetables

Once in awhile, I'll be posting a favorite recipe...here's the first.  This is a dish that developed when I had forgotten to plan anything for dinner and came home from work wondering what to fix.  (You're probably MUCH more organized, and I'm sure that never happens to you.)  The sausage was frozen, but I pulled it out of the freezer and set it simmering in the pan.  Then I rummaged through the fridge to see what else I had.  Sometimes this very unscientific process results in the best meals.  Oh, and by the way... make enough for left-overs -- this dish tastes twice as good the second day!

Ingredients:
1 lb. savory pork sausage (from your local farmer, if possible, but otherwise as natural as you can find it)
1 large organic turnip, washed and cubed (peeling is optional, but it's better not to)
1 large organic rutabaga, washed and cubed (again, peeling optional)
1 large (or 2 small) organic potato, peeled, and cubed
1 cup fresh or frozen organic green beans, cut into pieces (or...home-canned, if you do that kind of thing)
2 cups home-made chicken broth (bone broth is best; otherwise you can substitute organic canned broth)
Sea salt to taste - I used about a teaspoon

Preparation:
Gently brown sausage in cast iron or stainless steel skillet on medium heat until cooked through.  Add cubed vegetables and broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low about 15 minutes or until vegetables are done (can be split easily with a fork, but not yet dissolved into mush).  Remove from heat; serve in wide shallow bowls.  Serves 3 to 4 (or two with left-overs!)

This is a great winter dish.  Root vegetables are natural winter vegetables and pair beautifully with the spicier pork sausage.

For the broth, just stew your left-over chicken bones in a crock pot with a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar (you can add veggies if desired - carrots & onion are my favorites) for 8 to 12 hours.  Then salt to taste, let it cool, strain it off, and store it in the freezer in pint-size jars.  Yum!  But, of course, you'll need to have this done in advance.