Sausage and Potato Hash

Last week we escaped for a short vacation to the coast (here's a peek of the beach at Cape Perpetua), but we made sure to return in time for the Sunday Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market and to catch farmer John Karlik talking about the market on KLCC's Food for Thought. At this upcoming Sunday's market you can expect to find the following offerings from Sweetwater Farm and Fair Valley Farm:

• blueberries and plums (bake a buckle)
• many potato varieties including new potatoes, yellow yukon gold, red norland, all blue, and french fingerlings (make some hash, see below)
• plenty of tomatoes (try a savory cherry tomato clafouti)
• cucumbers, zucchini and peppers (pickle some tsukemono)
• fennel and fresh herbs, including basil and parsley (make some herb infused beans)
• many varieties of greens and cabbage
• carrots, turnips, radishes, and beets (try this kale, beet and quinoa salad)
• broccoli and cauliflower
• onions and garlic
• tomato sauce and pesto
• pickles and sauerkraut
• homemade jams
• fresh eggs (make some huevos rancheros)
• Scottish oats
• a selection of dried beans and grains from Camas Country Mill
• pastured chicken
• pastured pork: bacon, ground pork, pork chops, shoulder roasts, ham roasts, spare ribs, and the best sausage for hash
• pastured lamb: ground, stew meat, leg roast, rib chops, loin chops

One of the great indulgences of vacations are leisurely breakfasts without any pressing school bells, work meetings, or soccer games. In anticipation of lazy mornings, I packed some pre-measured Scottish oats with teff and flaxseeds for oatmeal and some Scottish oats granola to sprinkle on yogurt and berries. 

Most importantly, I packed a pound of Fair Valley Farm's pork sausage meat, which my husband cooked up one morning into a delicious potato hash with onions and cherry tomatoes. The sausage was deliciously flavored and not at all greasy. His brother made eggs to order to drape over the hash, which we all savored next to a wood burning stove, while watching the morning fog fade away.

Sausage and Potato Hash

1 lb ground pork sausage meat

2 lb potatoes

1 onion

2 Tbsp butter

half a pint of cherry tomatoes

salt to taste

1. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Peel and dice the onion. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is warm, melt the butter and then add the diced potatoes with a generous pinch of salt. Allow the potato cubes to brown, turning now and then. After the potatoes have started to crisp up, add the onions. Continue cooking until the potatoes are nicely browned and the onion has caramelized. Transfer the potato mixture to a plate.

2. Return the skillet to the burner. Add the sausage meat and saute, stirring, until cooked through. Return the potatoes and onions to the pan and stir together. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes until they start to collapse. Taste and add a pinch more salt if necessary. Serve warm with eggs cooked to your liking.