Zucchini and Sausage Ragu with Momlord.

I remember it like it was only a few weeks ago. Our double-wammy CD release weekend was a big success- we played at a lovely little place by the name of Jacob's Lounge in Dartmouth with The Scoopouts and Fuck Montreal, then mere days later we rocked Gus' with Like a Motorcycle and Intoxicide. The Thetans joined us for both shows, spraying the crowd with funky Xenu beats and offering up their debut CD The Ocean and the Sea. Good times and shortened life-spans were had by all! Tasha even treated us all to a sparkling beverage in celebration.

My Mom made the trip up from Moncton to join the fun, bringing along a bounty of fresh veggies from her garden. I found myself surrounded by tubers and leafy greens. Beautifully fresh green beans, cucumber, tomatoes, and beets had somehow found their way into my kitchen and were closing in on me, calling out Why? Why do you exclude me from your digestive tract??? A massive zucchini pushed the smaller veggies aside and finished me off. I decided to make a ragu.

It was a quick and easy solution to dinner amidst our busy schedule, and a comforting, stew-like ragu with spicy sausage and rice was just what we needed to soothe our hangovers (or drunken munchies?). This takes pretty much no time to make and is similar to a dish my great-grandmother used to make my old man, known simply as "moving day casserole."

Day of Reckoning Casserole


about a 1/2 lb of beans, chopped
1 zucchini (or 1/2 of a giant one) diced
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
a loving handful of spicy sausage, gently removed from casings
large can of whole tomatoes and juice
2Tb tomato paste

2Tb olive oil
2 tsp oregano
salt and freshly cracked pepper
3/4 cup of red wine
juice of one lemon

Heat the oil on medium-high in a large pan or pot. Once hot add the onions and garlic and cook on high unitl slightly brown. Add in your tomato paste and cook briefly while stirring. Add the sausage and oregano and stir until the meat is nearly cooked through, then deglaze the hot pan with red wine. Add all of the other ingredients except the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat a bit and stir every once and a while. It should be nice and thick when ready, with less liquid than the average stew. When it's been at least 20 minutes and you finally have time to eat, season to taste and stir in the lemon juice.

It was good shit and we totally burnt our mouths on it. We ate it with rice but it would have been perfect with pasta or even just some fresh bread for dipping. My secret rice recipe is located right on the back of the bag- just don't skimp on the margarine.

So we all ate healthy this week- and you can too! Don't be afraid to jazz this recipe up with 10-12 beers and a glass of bubbly like we did. You won't be disappointed. A Special thanks goes to everyone who helped and participated in both shows- especially Ryan Smith for driving our asses around as usual.

Thanks mom- never give up your dream of getting me to eat more vegetables.

-Sev