Pumpkin-spice pancakes with sage sausage

This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes! We are lucky enough to take part in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from a local farmer that provides hormone- and antibiotic-free, grass-fed free-range beef, pork and eggs. This is separate from our vegetable CSA that we had, as we haven't started back up with one of those yet, and it functions a little differently than a normal CSA would.


The eggs are delivered to our doorstep every Wednesday (we feel so lucky!) and Paul, from Laughing Stock Farm, calls us whenever he's going to have a share of the meat. The beef and pork is incredibly lean, which is sometimes a downfall with the beef (a well-marbled beef cut makes for such tender, flavorful, yummy deliciousness...), but the pork is absolutely amazing. My favorite part? We get homemade ground pork sausage...sans the seasoning.

When I first realized it wasn't seasoned, I wasn't sure what to do...but then Emeril came to my rescue! This is a modified version of his chicken-apple-fennel breakfast sausage, which I'm sure is wonderful, but I never seem to have apples or chicken around when I want to make it, so I've adapted it to what I do usually have on hand.


Sage Breakfast Sausage, modified from Emeril

4 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork (ours is sausage, so it already has fat in it - this would be healthier!)
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves (don't use ground sage - this is the best part!)
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (white pepper if you have it)
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Heat 2 tbsp. oil over medium heat and saute the fennel seeds until they turn a golden color, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the onion cools, combine the pork and seasonings together in a small bowl...gently...don't overmix. Then, add the onion mixture when it has cooled, and mix the entire thing together. Form patties (makes 8-12), then if you're using just ground pork, add a tbsp. of olive oil to the pan and cook in two batches until cooked through with no pink in the middle...you won't need more oil if you're using pork sausage.

We served these with pumpkin spice pancakes - adding 1 tsp. of pumpkin spice (try this mixture from Nic at bakingsheet, who also has a great cinnamon pancake recipe) to your favorite pancake batter. I actually forgot to bring the pancake recipe with me today, but ours is from the Joy of Cooking, our stand-by...but you could use any pancake recipe. If anyone wants it, let me know and I'll add it here. I'd like to make pancakes with real pumpkin, but I haven't tried it yet since I'm not sure about the amount to use, so anyone that has a good one - I'd love to hear it! Enjoy!