Homemade Beef Stew

This really isn't an advertisement for Staub Cookware! (But, I would highly recommend this Dutch Oven!!) I love it.  It was one of our fabulous wedding presents.

We are still enjoying "cozy" foods, so here's a definite one.  It requires about 2 hours of simmering so plan accordingly.  However, you can do this ahead, if preferred.  This is just a simple recipe, but a keeper.  It's adapted from my friend, Betty, again!  I made cornbread in an iron skillet to go with the stew & supper was a hit.

(Haha -- I see that my ladle didn't grab any beef for the picture!  Sorry about that -- no retake -- stew is gone!)

Homemade Beef Stew

1 lb lean beef stew meat

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 medium carrots, cut into 1" pieces

1 large potato, cut into bite-size chunks

2 medium stalks of celery, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 small onion, chopped (or sliced)

1 teaspoon salt

2 dried bay leaves **

1/2 cup cold water

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cut & discard most of the fat from the beef.  Cut any bigger pieces into 1-inch cubes.  Heat the oil in a large Dutch Oven (or stock pot) over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes.  Cook the beef in the oil about 15 minutes, stirring  occasionally.  The goal is to get good browning, which promotes flavor.  Any little brown crisps are welcome!

Remove from heat & add water, 1/2 teaspoon salt & the pepper.  Heat to boiling over high heat.  Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently.  Cover & cook 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender.

Prepare the vegetables, peeling & cutting.  (TIP FOR DOING AHEAD: If you like, you can place all the vegetables in a bowl & cover with water. After finishing softening the beef, take the Dutch Oven off the heat, still covered.  I have actually left the house for up to two hours, returned home, and continued on with recipe from here.  I almost feel like the beef is more tender having set like this.)

Add the vegetables (if you covered the vegetables with water in the do-ahead part, drain off the water), 1 teaspoon salt & bay leaves into the beef mixture.  If you are in the mood, add a splash of dry red wine.  Cover & cook about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Remove the bay leaves.  Shake the cold water & flour in a jar.  Gradually stir into the mixture.  Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Serve bowls, allowing some cooling.

** If you ever can snag a Laurel Bay plant, do it!  When I lived up north, I kept one in the house.  Here in Florida, I keep one in my herb garden.  The flavor is wonderful.  I use the leaves fresh.  I also enjoy drying them & giving them in jars as small gifts. 

**Starring: Thai Basil**

Photo: http://www.thekitchn.com/spicy-robust-heavenly-thai-basil-ingredient-spotlight-174618

Introducing...Thai Basil.  Though this herb shares it name with the common Sweet Basil, it possesses a flavor & fragrance all its own.  When customers linger by our herbs at the stand, I will often ask them to rub a leaf & sniff.  The reaction is always the same -- Mmmm!  Thai basil smells very much like licrorice & is most often associated with Asian cooking.  Like other varieties of basil, it is not an herb that should be cooked, but rather tossed in at the end of cooking. 

Recently, we made stirfry (for the recipe see:  http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2011/12/starring-bok-choy.html ).  We made some slight changes that enhanced the flavors tremendously.  Instead of olive oil, we used sesame oil.  We used baby bok choy, separating the leaves & stems.  The leaves were tossed in later as we were putting the sauce in the wok.  Before serving, we mixed in about 2 tsp of freshly chopped Thai Basil.  The combination of flavors was perfect.

Herb Propagation

A couple months ago, my mint which was planted in a large terra cotta pot seemed to be ebbing out.  Normally, mint is so prolific that it almost becomes a pest.  I decided to go about salvaging the plant.  I cut a 4-5 inch piece off of the freshest sprig.  I put it in a small glass with water taking off any leaf that would be submerged.  I placed it on my kitchen window sill.  Within a couple weeks, the sprig had grown beautiful roots.  I took it out to my herb garden and planted it.  The picture above is the plant!!!  Any tender herb, such as mint and basil, can be propagated this way.  It is a wonderful way to get many plants out of one and in my case, to save my plant.

***Starring: Oregano***

Oregano is a wonderful herb to grow in the Florida environment.  It requires little care and management.  I basically ignore mine, besides watering it in the mornings on these very hot days.  Tonight we cooked spaghetti.  Fresh oregano always goes in ours!  I clip about three good size sprigs, rinse them and pluck the leaves off.  I use my ulu knife to chop it up.  That's the knife that I usually use for all my herbs.  (Google it -- it's a wonderful Alaskan native knife.)  We throw the oregano in the sauce after it is cooked.

Today I noticed that my oregano plant was growing wildly and needed a good trim.  Herbs like to be cut.  They seem to grow better when they are used.  I cut about 20-30 springs, rinsed them and placed them on a cookie sheet.  I place a paper towel under and over them.  They will stay there (on top of my top cupboards!) for about two weeks.  Then, I put them in jars and they are ready to use.  Obviously, fresh herbs are the best.  But, I am planning on using my dried oregano for the following:

Taco Spice Mix

1/4 cup red pepper flakes or chili powder

1/4 cup ground cumin

1/4 cup dried oregano

2 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup onion powder

3 Tbsp salt

Makes 12 servings or uses.  To use, add 2 tablespoons to one pound of ground meat.  Mix well and then cook.  For dips, add 2 tablespoons to 1 cup sour cream or yogurt.

This is similar to what you buy in the packets at the store.  We do not care much for the flavor of the packets.  Usually, we use just a fraction of the packet anyway.  So, we are going to try this!

A Lesson in Cilantro

Summer days and cravings of salsa prompt customers to ask for cilantro.  Unfortunately, cilantro dislikes extreme heat & humidity.  It grows best in a cool & dry environment.  Therefore, we do not grow it during the summer.  Cilantro can be grown in the spring and fall.  It has a deep tap root like parsley.  Both herbs need to be planted in very deep pots or in the ground.  Once the tap root hits the bottom, it will stop growing.  Cilantro is an annual herb and has a comparatively short lifespan.  When the plant begins to flower, it is signaling that it is about done producing leaves.

Cilantro is also called Chinese parsley.  Coriander is the seeds from cilantro.  Unfortunately, cilantro cannot be frozen or dried so must be used fresh. 

We have stumbled on an herb called Culantro.  It tastes extremely close to cilantro, grows in heat and can be an biennial in warmer climates.  Locating seeds has been a problem for me.  Publix sells the cut herb in the produce section.  I have bought it several times.  The plant is much more hardy than the delicate cilantro leaves.  Beware -- it looks completely different.

We really enjoy it.  I love that it lasts much longer than cilantro in the refrigerator!

Cut Rosemary

This week we will be bringing cut rosemary to Market. The bunches are a good size. Rosemary keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks. On the occassion that I have bought cut herbs from the grocery store (forbid it!), I have taken what I do not use and dry it for later use. I wash & dry the herbs well. Then I lay them out on a paper towel on a cookie sheet, cover with another paper towel, and leave for about two weeks or until completely dry. No waste!

*** Starring: Dill ***

http://photo-dictionary.com/phrase/3772/dill.html

Dill is another wonderful herb. Usually, we associate dill with pickles or bread. A couple weeks ago, we thought that dill in a potato salad sounded good. We found a recipe on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ that was terrific.

Potato Salad with Dill

3 lbs pototoes, peeled

Cook the potatoes about 25 minutes. Do not overcook them. Drain and bring them back to the pot to completely dry. (I left mine in the colander and gently stirred them occasionally until they were room temperature.)

Combine:
2 stalks celery
1 c mayonnaise
1 small red onion, chopped
3/4 t salt
1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
1-2 T vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced ( I did not squeeze my own for time's sake.)
1 T Dijon mustard

When potatoes are cooled, gently combine the sauce and potatoes. Serve room temperature. The recipe said that when the potatoes are chilled, they change textures. However, we had the leftovers the next day and could not tell much difference. I also halved the recipe and it worked fine. We loved it.

Herb Education

Photo: http://www.tipsonhomeandstyle.com/food/easy-to-grow-essential-herbs

Unfamiliarity with herbs keeps people from using them. Over the past few years, I have enjoyed taking one herb at a time and experimenting growing, cooking and drying it. Recently, we happened on some interesting information about herbs in a cookbook from my brother-in-law's family. Here's some basic information regarding the herbs we grow.

* Add herbs in small amounts, 1/4 teaspoon for each 4 servings. Taste before adding more.
* Always crush dried herbs or snip fresh herbs before using to release the flavor.
* If substituting fresh herbs for dried, use 3 times more fresh herbs.

Basil- Sweet warm flavor with an aromatic odor, used whole or ground. Good with ground beef, lamb, fish, roast, omelets, pesto, dressings, and spaghetti. The plant does not like cold weather.

Chives- Sweet mild flavor of onion. This herb is excellent in salads, fish, soups and potatoes. Delicious mixed in with sour cream. Easy to grow.

Dill- Both seeds and leaves of dill are flavorful. Leaves may be used to garnish or cook with fish, soup, dressings, potatoes and beans. Leaves or the whole plant may be used to spice dill pickles.

Mint- Leaves are aromatic with a cool flavor. Excellent in beverages, fish, cheese, lamb, soup, peas, carrots, and fruit desserts. Refreshing over mandarin orange slices. Different varieties exist. We grow spearmint. The plant can spread easily so best in potted.

Oregano- Strong aromatic odor, use whole or ground to spice tomato juice, fish, eggs, pizza, omelets, chili, stew, gravy, poultry and vegetables. Smells like pizza!

Parsley- Best when used fresh. Use as garnish or seasoning. Try in fish, omelets, soup, meat, stuffing and mixed greens. Varities include flat-leaf and curly. We grow flat-leaf.

Sage- Use fresh or dried. May be used in tomato juice, fish, fondue, omelets, beef, poultry, stuffing, cheese spreads, cornbread and biscuits.

Sorrel- A citrus flavored herb that resembles spinach and in some cultures is considered a vegetable. The taste becomes stronger as leaves mature. Young leaves can be used in salads or lightly cooked like spinach. Older leaves provide a tangy flavor to soups, stews and sauces. Especially used with fish.

*** Starring: Thyme ***

Thyme is my favorite herb. I love the smell and taste. We stuff our roast chickens with it, along with a bay leaf, flattened garlic cloves, onions, celery and salt. Makes the house smell wonderful. We also found a recipe in a Betty Crocker cookbook for potato soup that is delicious and very quick to make. Will share it with you.

Home-Style Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb)
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
2 green onions with tops, chopped
1-1/2 c milk
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t dried thyme leaves (we use about 1 T of fresh leaves, chopped to release the flavor)

Peel & chunk the potatoes. Heat the broth & potatoes to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat so that the mixture gently boils. Cover & cook about 15 min or until the potatoes are soft. Break the potatoes into pieces. (We use a potato masher to mash a few chunks and give the soup a thicker consistency.) Stir in the milk, salt, pepper, thyme & onions into the mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring some, until hot & steaming. Do not let the soup boil. May add 1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese at the end.

NOTES: We often cook up a link of turkey sausage (or you can substitute vegetarian sausage) and toss it in when the soup is heating up at the end. If we do not have green onions, we use regular onion and cook it with the potatoes. The recipe makes a small batch, 3-4 servings.