Stew night one at Club Home Made!

Recipe and photo by Megan Winfery.

Have you ever had one of those crazy busy weeks when you barely have time to eat (let alone cook), and then your CSA share arrives and you and think "How on EARTH am I going to make use of all this?!" If you're nodding your head like yep that's me I have one word for you - STEW! The humble pot of stew is just that - it doesn't like to brag - but it really is a one pot wonder that has nourished us humans since ancient times. Stew is healthy, delicious, versatile, and it practically cooks itself! Prep can be a little daunting if you dread chopping veggies, but I see it as a great opportunity to turn up some jams and give a bit of my time to the beautiful produce that is about to literally give me life. Another great way to get prepped is to attend a Club Homemade class, which is where I prepped this particular stew last Monday. Ada and Becky's cooking philosophy is absolutely inspirational and will change the way you cook. I can't recommend their meal prep club enough!

So you've got your CSA box or farmer's market haul and now it's time to wash and prep. Wash greens, root vegetable tops and herbs thoroughly in a salad spinner or a bowl of cool water then lay them out on a tea towel to dry completely. Peel or wash root vegetables and rinse off other items such as peppers. Properly store the produce that won't be going into the stew pot and get ready to prep everything else for their broth bath. If you see fit, you can cook your entire CSA share into one big pot of as stew meal prep or to freeze for a rainy day. A pot of stew can be as large or small as you like!

Here is the basic formula for stew that you can perpetually modify:

1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil or fat and set to medium heat on the stove.

2. Add diced aromatics like garlic, onion, and peppers and soften.

3. Add any meat you might be using and cook completely.

4. Stir in cubed root vegetables like carrots, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, beets, turnips, and radish + any hearty herbs like thyme, oregano, and rosemary.

5. Add seasoning of your choice and make sure salt is one of them.

6. Let everything soften and meld together for about 10 minutes, then add your broth of choice. Use water if you don't have broth or enough to cover everything completely.

7. Bring to a simmer for the next 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork tender.

8. Remove from heat and add any soft herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, and chives.

Serve with accoutrements like crusty croutons, soft boiled egg, Greek yogurt, dumplings, rice, or egg noodles. Stew stays good in the fridge (gets better, really) for a week and freezes very well!