"Memory recalls dishes that have pleased the taste; imagination pretends to see them; there is something dreamlike about the whole process." — "On Appetite," Brillat-Savarin
Here we are — locked in the drears of January with nothing much active and pleasurable to do. Except cook! And think about food we shouldn't have and still stick to the traditional New Year's vow to lose 10 pounds.
It's not tennis and swimming weather which keeps one burning calories and the mind off food (though I always see a few intrepid runners churning along the bicycle paths no matter how grim the day). Even the most intrepid gardener can find little to do except forcing bulbs and leafing through plant catalogues. Cooking weather, that's what January and February are, and I've worked out a couple of stews . . . that are healthy, hearty, and won't fracture diet resolutions.
Winter Vegetable Stew
This is a delicious melange of vegetable textures and flavors with just a little meat for flavoring. The veal bones add body to the stew without adding calories. Because of the multiplicity of ingredients the recipe necessarily yields a fairly large quantity, but it keeps well refrigerated for several days and so can be reheated for a subsequent meal. Freezing is not advised because it destroys the various textures of the vegetables in this main course stew.
2 Tbsp. salad oil
2 lbs. veal neck bones
1 lb. beef shin slice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 quart water
1 1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and freshly milled pepper to taste
4 carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 stalks celery, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2/3 cup dried Great Northern beans
Water to cover by 2 inches
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
3 cups shredded green cabbage
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. Add the veal bones and the beef and brown them over medium heat. Add the garlic and half the onions, cover the pot, and cook over low heat about five minutes. Add the water, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Add about one-third of the carrots and celery and simmer the stew base for about one-and-a-half hours.
Meanwhile, bring the dried beans to the boil for two minutes, then turn off heat, cover, and let them sit until they are about doubled in size — about half an hour. Do not salt as this hardens the beans and lengthens the cooking time. Turn the beans back on and simmer until tender.
When the beef is very tender, remove it from the pot and cut it into small pieces. Discard the veal bones and the bay leaf and return the beef to the pot. Add all the remaining ingredients and the cooked beans with their cooking liquid and simmer together for about 30 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and serve in large, warm bowls sprinkled with parsley.
Serves six to eight.
