Nantucket (26 page)

 

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 medium tomatoes, chopped, or 2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 small can mild green chopped chilies
2 cups water or chicken broth
½ teaspoon ground pepper

 

 

Heat oil in large pot; add onion and cook until lightly browned; remove onion and set aside; add beef or turkey to pan and cook until browned. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne to taste and stir constantly until fragrant—thirty seconds to a minute. Stir in canned tomatoes, beans (rinsed), green chilies, water or chicken broth, and pepper. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for two hours. Or, after the onion and meat have been browned, transfer to a Crock-Pot, add other ingredients, and cook on low for four hours.

Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and corn bread or crusty rolls.

 

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5-ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

 

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 minutes. (Sometimes I just soak the noodles in a pan of warm water while I'm getting the other ingredients ready!) Drain and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, and remaining parsley.

Preheat oven to 350°F (190°C).

To assemble lasagna, spread
of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Arrange four noodles over the sauce (three the long way; one across the end). On top of the noodles, spread
of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top the ricotta with
of the shredded mozzarella and sprinkle with
of the Parmesan. Repeat the layering two more times, ending with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover tightly with foil that has been sprayed with a cooking spray or lightly wiped with oil to prevent sticking.

Bake in preheated oven for fifty minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

 

The suggested questions that follow
are included to enhance your group's
reading of
Nantucket.

Nan Parson Rossiter was born in Mount Vernon, New York; some of her earliest memories include riding a green Stingray bike—complete with banana seat and sissy bar—to the Pelham Library, which at the time was a tiny, cavelike space tucked beneath Hutchinson Elementary School. It was from the shelves of this library that Nan first discovered the magic of books. Some of her favorite characters included Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Pippi Longstocking, Laura Ingalls, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Harriet the Spy.

When she was in the seventh grade, Nan moved with her parents to Barkhamsted, Connecticut. She graduated from Northwestern Regional 7 High School and went on to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1986 with a degree in illustration. After freelancing for several years, she began writing and illustrating books for children, including
Rugby & Rosie,
winner of Nebraska's Golden Sower Award, and most recently,
The Fo'c'sle: Henry Beston's Outermost House
. In 2011, Nan published her first novel,
The Gin & Chowder Club;
she is also the author of
Words Get in the Way, More Than You Know, Under a Summer Sky,
and a short Christmas story in the anthology,
Making Spirits Bright.

Nan lives in rural Connecticut with her husband, their two handsome sons, and a black Lab named Finnegan. When she's not working, she enjoys hiking with her family or curling up with a good book.