Bolognese Sauce
First, I assume this blog has no readership left. Among the many things I neglected when I finished this past school year was writing about anything we cook and eat in our home. Honestly, during the year I had little to say. We ate mostly the same things, and I was on the road so much that we weren't really cooking much at all. Even when I was home, suppertime normally fell during music lesson times, so collectively had about fifteen minutes to create a semblance of a reasonable dinner for the baby and us. That meant experimentation and food blogging went dormant for months.
However, I was talking to Kevin from Linden Leas, a guy from the north shore of Nova Scotia who sells local "free-range" beef, this past weekend and realized I hadn't yet shared our recipe for bolognese sauce. This was one experiment we did try in the spring because the recipe makes approximately 2 liters of sauce and freezes very well. That was important for us, as we were always on the run. We used this to top kamut pasta quite often, but we even used it as the sauce base for a baked penne dish I made up on the spot with ingredients we had kicking around one weekend. A lot of people I know are busy, so putting one three-hour time investment that will benefit you for several days or a couple of weeks is a great thing!
If you live anywhere in northern or central Nova Scotia, I can guarantee good results because this recipe depends on good beef. Having River Breeze and Linden Leas around makes good beef very possible. The taste of this local beef, combined with the health benefit of no hormones or chemicals (aside from what our environment is already polluted with, of course), leaves one with the best beef I've ever had. (I know what you're thinking: "Lynn, you don't like beef. You could be a vegetarian if you could afford it. What gives?" You're right, but trust me, good beef is good beef, even if you do prefer tofu.) If you are not from Nova Scotia, then try and find some local free-range beef. It pays dividends to this recipe.
Before I give you the goods, I have to confess one thing. This is actually not an Erskine original. When we were early married we were given the December 2003 issue of "everyday FOOD," which is the basis for what we do. You'll note a few changes to accommodate our tastes and food intolerances. However, we have to give credit where credit is due: Thanks, Martha!
Bolognese Sauce
Yield: approximately 2 liters
Total time commitment: approximately 3 hours
2 strips bacon (the less fat, the better), finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped (go for a darker green for best results)
1 large carrot, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds free-range ground beef
coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cups original Silk (either Rice Dream or Almond Breeze (unsweetened) works, too, but Silk is best)
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine (we have used a savignon blanc, but a chardonnay would be beautiful)
2 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1) In a Dutch oven cook bacon, onions, celery, carrot, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (5-8 minutes).
2) Add beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned.
3) Raise heat to high. Add the Silk and nutmeg. Cook, stirring frequently, until the Silk has evaporated (6-8 minutes). Add wine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the wine has evaporated (6-8 minutes).
4) Stir tomatoes into beef mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and beef is very tender (2 hours). Only if necessary, add water a little bit at a time to prevent the sauce from becoming too dry. (Use no more than 1.5 - 2 cups total, though.) Season with salt and pepper.
5) Use fresh to top your favorite pasta, and freeze the rest in tightly sealed containers. We recommend freezing a couple of servings each in several containers so you only have to thaw what you actually need. This sauce reheats very easily in the microwave or stovetop, even without thawing.
However, I was talking to Kevin from Linden Leas, a guy from the north shore of Nova Scotia who sells local "free-range" beef, this past weekend and realized I hadn't yet shared our recipe for bolognese sauce. This was one experiment we did try in the spring because the recipe makes approximately 2 liters of sauce and freezes very well. That was important for us, as we were always on the run. We used this to top kamut pasta quite often, but we even used it as the sauce base for a baked penne dish I made up on the spot with ingredients we had kicking around one weekend. A lot of people I know are busy, so putting one three-hour time investment that will benefit you for several days or a couple of weeks is a great thing!
If you live anywhere in northern or central Nova Scotia, I can guarantee good results because this recipe depends on good beef. Having River Breeze and Linden Leas around makes good beef very possible. The taste of this local beef, combined with the health benefit of no hormones or chemicals (aside from what our environment is already polluted with, of course), leaves one with the best beef I've ever had. (I know what you're thinking: "Lynn, you don't like beef. You could be a vegetarian if you could afford it. What gives?" You're right, but trust me, good beef is good beef, even if you do prefer tofu.) If you are not from Nova Scotia, then try and find some local free-range beef. It pays dividends to this recipe.
Before I give you the goods, I have to confess one thing. This is actually not an Erskine original. When we were early married we were given the December 2003 issue of "everyday FOOD," which is the basis for what we do. You'll note a few changes to accommodate our tastes and food intolerances. However, we have to give credit where credit is due: Thanks, Martha!
Bolognese Sauce
Yield: approximately 2 liters
Total time commitment: approximately 3 hours
2 strips bacon (the less fat, the better), finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped (go for a darker green for best results)
1 large carrot, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds free-range ground beef
coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cups original Silk (either Rice Dream or Almond Breeze (unsweetened) works, too, but Silk is best)
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup dry white wine (we have used a savignon blanc, but a chardonnay would be beautiful)
2 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1) In a Dutch oven cook bacon, onions, celery, carrot, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (5-8 minutes).
2) Add beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned.
3) Raise heat to high. Add the Silk and nutmeg. Cook, stirring frequently, until the Silk has evaporated (6-8 minutes). Add wine. Cook, stirring frequently, until the wine has evaporated (6-8 minutes).
4) Stir tomatoes into beef mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and beef is very tender (2 hours). Only if necessary, add water a little bit at a time to prevent the sauce from becoming too dry. (Use no more than 1.5 - 2 cups total, though.) Season with salt and pepper.
5) Use fresh to top your favorite pasta, and freeze the rest in tightly sealed containers. We recommend freezing a couple of servings each in several containers so you only have to thaw what you actually need. This sauce reheats very easily in the microwave or stovetop, even without thawing.
posted by Erskine at
7:43 AM
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