Our Whey-fed Sweet Italian Sausage (loose and links) will be on sale in our Farm Store for only $6.99/lb! The sale will run from July 17th through August 18th. Grab some when you come by for a grilled cheese with Chef Carmine, or when you stop by to pick up some of the delicious grass-fed beef we just got in from the butcher.
Not sure what to do with our Sweet Italian Sausage? Here is a fun suggestion from Sam our Cheesemaker:
Sausage Pretzel Bites
1½ cups warm (110 to 115°F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 oz. all-purpose flour (approximately 4 ½ cups)
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt
1 lb CGF Sweet Italian Sausage
¼ to ½ lb. of your favorite CGF Cheese cut into 1 x 1 x ½ inch cubes
Combine water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of the bowl (approximately 4 to 5 minutes). Remove dough from the bowl, clean bowl, and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and sit it in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, thaw and sauté whole linked Sweet Italian Sausage in pan for 6 to 8 minutes, turning when needed until brown. Remove from pan and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into ¾ inch pieces (6 to 8 slices per link) and save for filling.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper, lightly brush with vegetable oil, and set aside.
Take pretzel dough and pinch off a piece the size of a ping pong ball, flatten with hands until it is ¼-inch thick. Next, place a piece of sausage and a slice of cheese in the middle of the flattened dough, then wrap dough over the top using a dab of water to seal contents inside. Repeat until all sausage is used.
Bring 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. Place the pretzel bites in boiling water, 6 to 8 at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove from the water using a large slotted spoon. Return bites to the half-sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel bite with beaten egg yolk and water mixture, and sprinkle pretzel salt over top. Bake until dark golden-brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving, possibly alongside the sweet and spicy 3 Monkeys Mustard.