Bourguignon

We've actually had a fairly mild winter here in the Willamette Valley, or so I'm told, but on those chilly, rainy days nothing warms the soul like a steaming bowl of stew. Sitting around the dinner table with my family, hot bowls and crusty bread with butter, watching the fog float through the trees... it makes the gray days here so much brighter.

When I was a girl, my grandma made a beef bourguignon that if I close my eyes and picture myself sitting on the red stool in her kitchen I can still smell and taste. It reminds me of family gatherings in her small apartment all crammed in around the table filled with laughter and love and good food. She showed her love through the food she prepared for us, and I'm beginning to realize so do I. This week I set out to make a vegetable bourguignon that my boys would love just as much as the beef version... and I think I succeeded.

Recipe

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 sliced celery stalks

1 medium onion chopped

2 cups sliced carrots

10-15 red potatoes diced

1/2 to 1 cup peas (I used frozen)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup of red wine

3 cups vegetable broth

3 bay leafs

1 tsp dried thyme (or use fresh if you have it on hand)

1/2 tsp allspice

salt & pepper, to taste

2 tbsp flour

1. Heat olive oil in large pot and add diced garlic, onion, and celery. Let cook on medium high heat until onions and celery are translucent.

2. Add in carrots, potatoes, peas, and tomatoes. Stir to incorporate and let cook for a few minutes.

3. Stir in spices and pour in red wine and broth. Bring to a boil and then lower temperature and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are cooked through.

4. Scoop out 1/2-1 cup of the broth and in a separate bowl mix it with the flour. Slowly whisk the flour/broth mixture back into the stew, allow soup to thicken for a few minutes.

5. Serve hot with your favorite bread.

Recipe notes: I'm pretty notorious for just shaking in some of this and eyeballing that until it looks and tastes the way I like so having to write down a recipe is definitely new to me. The nice thing about this stew is that the amount of vegetables and spices can be easily adjusted to your liking so please use my ingredient list as a guide and not a rule book. The only thing I would not skimp on in the recipe is the red wine. I really think the wine is what gives the dish it's special flavor. I'd suggest using an actual bottle of wine (doesn't have to be expensive) instead of cooking wine, but that's just me. I've read that Merlots and Pinot Noirs are good for dishes such as this. :-)

Bon appetite!