Seasonal Autumn Stew

I am not one of those people who always plans out a week's worth of meals and does one big grocery shop to last the week, I like flexibility for the whimsy. But I have been doing this more lately. It's a good habit to get into, saving time, money and car trips. Sundays always lend well to this kind of activity, sitting down with a cup of coffee and planning out dinners for the week ahead.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Root Cellar Green Grocer in Victoria to pick up all the produce I'll need for the week. Farm fresh and dirt cheap, it's one of the best places around to buy local fruits and vegetables.

During my shop, I picked up an assortment of veggies - squash, onion, fennel, mushrooms, parsnip and kale - perfect for making a warm seasonal autumn stew. I especially like the hint of cinnamon in this recipe because it enhances the warm, homey flavours of the squash and parsnips so well. Do you have any favorite autumn stews?

Seasonal Autumn Stew (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 medium butternut squash, cubed

1 parsnip, cored and diced

1 cup vegetable broth

1 can (28 oz, 796 ml) whole tomatoes, pureed

1 teaspoon chili flakes

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch of kale

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 pinches of cinnamon

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Cook onions, stirring, until golden and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, fennel, squash, parsnip, bay leaves, rosemary, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about five minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

Add stock, pureed tomatoes and chili flakes. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute thinly sliced mushrooms in a little olive oil and butter until they start to brown.

Once the vegetables are tender, add mushrooms and kale to the stew along with a pinch or two of cinnamon. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper or chili flakes if needed.

Try serving this topped with a little Italian flat leaf parsley and sour cream and whole wheat bread on the side.

Italian Turkey Stew with Fennel and White Beans

I've just returned from a few days in Vancouver, visiting my uber-pregnant sister who's now four days overdue. Since coming home, I keep thinking to myself "I wonder if she's having contractions now" about every hour. And it's only a matter of time before I'm right. One of these hours she will be having contractions.

While I was visiting, I stayed one night with my lovely friend Anya and she made us one of her own recipes for dinner. A stew of fennel, canned tomatoes, white beans and fennel sausage. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect dinner on a cool, rainy evening in Vancouver. Needless to say, immediately after getting back I picked up the ingredients I needed to make it for Jeremy and myself.


I call this an Italian stew because it's rustic and simple and uses good quality ingredients. But there's also another reason why I'm calling this an Italian stew. While I was at the grocery store I realized I've become just a little obsessed since my trip to Italy last fall. While standing in the check out wearing my favorite over sized Italian scarf that I bought in Verona, I looked down and noticed a distinctive theme to my groceries. Italian sausages, Italissima canned tomatoes, La Molisana canned white beans and Italian flat-leaf parsley. Serious, it seems a little over the top even to me but I just can't help myself. Italian food really is one of the best in the world.

Try making this stew like an Italian would, adding ingredients without measuring each one out and tasting as you go to adjust the flavours. Add more garlic, chili peppers, salt and pepper until it's just right.


Italian Turkey Stew with Fennel and White Beans (serves 4)

Ingredients
olive oil
1-2 onions, sliced
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 turkey sausages, remove meat from casing
2 bay leaves
2 cans (28 oz) of tomatoes
1-2 teaspoons red chili flakes
1 can (398 ml) white beans
half bunch of kale or spinach, washed and chopped
Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
dash of balsamic vinegar

Directions
In a large pot over a medium heat, saute onions for 10-15 minutes until golden. Add fennel, garlic and the meat of the three sausages. Using a large spoon, break the sausage meat apart and stir being careful not to burn the garlic. Once the meat has browned, add the tomatoes, bay leaves, beans, chili flakes, salt and pepper.

Bring the stew to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes. The key is to continue simmering until the fennel is soft. Also, taste the stew along the way and adjust flavours to your liking. Once the fennel is tender, add chopped kale (or spinach), parsley and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Simmer for a few more minutes until the greens have wilted. Serve and enjoy.