It was a joy for me to be able to go out into the snow covered garden and find some produce. The carrots and onions I unearthed were in good shape and a delicious fresh treat. It's nice to make a stew out of root vegetables, it just seems right for a winter meal. You can find the link to the video below in case you missed it.
It was great to be able to go to the freezer and get out a package of stew meat. The beef we butchered last fall has been such good meat. It's so wonderful to know where our beef comes from and how it was grown. I dredged the beef in flour, salt and pepper and sautéed it in several tablespoons of butter. Lately I've learned to be generous with the butter, it really helps tenderize the beef.
Then I removed the beef from the pan and sautéed some of that garden onion and several cloves of garlic in those pan dripping.
The garlic I used came from my sister Rebecca who has a small farm in Albany Vermont where she sell lots of nutritious and unique item ( https://peaceofearthfarmalbany.wordpress.com/ ) She sent me this whole bag of garlic!
Lately I have been using garlic every day. Jim gave me a handy dandy garlic press for Christmas (he might have had a hint that I wanted it).
I chopped up 3-4 potatoes that came from our garden. They are stored in our basement in a big bin until I need them. I leave the skins on and just give them a good scrub.
I added the carrots from the garden and some home canned tomato juice. I sprinkled a handful of tapioca on top to help thicken it up.
I seasoned the pot with some fresh Rosemary from the plant that is wintering over inside. What a delightful herb it is, so full of scent and flavor. I also use a pinch of it almost everyday in my cooking.
Into the oven the pot goes, roasting for 5 hours or so at 200 degrees F. Paired with some bread and a little salad, it made an nourishing supper- with leftovers! Maybe you don't have access to home-grown products but this recipe is still easy to make and nutritious if the grocery store is your only option,
Five Hour Stew from the More with Less Cookbook
The evening before, brown in Dutch oven:
2 lbs. stew meat, dredged in flour (I melted 2-3 TBSP of butter first)
Add:
favorite seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic basil, parsley)... I added rosemary
3 large potatoes, cut up
1 medium onions cut up
4 carrots, cut up in chunks
1 quart stewed tomatoes (if you would like a thicker stew, use 3 cups of tomato product)
1/4 c. tapioca, sprinkled over all
Refrigerate overnight. Bake covered, for 5 hours at 250 degrees,
Here is the link to the cookbook I spoke of: https://amzn.to/3tvMI11