Spring Vegetable Stew Recipes

LAMB STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer the bacon to a large plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Dry the lamb with paper towels and toss it in a bowl first with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and then with the 1/4 cup of flour. Raise the heat to medium high and cook half the lamb in the bacon fat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Add the lamb to the plate with the bacon and brown the second batch, also transferring it to the plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.
• Pour the lamb and bacon, along with any juices that collect, back into the pot. Add the beef stock, wine, tomatoes (including the juice), thyme, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, onions and turnips, cover and return to the oven for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender.
• Mash the 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the stew and simmer on top of the stove for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the peas and parsley, season to taste and serve hot in large shallow bowls.

SPRING VEGETABLE STEW WITH SWEET-POTATO DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Makethedumplings: Place sweet potato in a saucepan; cover with water by1inch. Bringto a boil; add a large pinchof salt. Reduceheat; simmer until tender,about 15 minutes. Meanwhile,whisk theflour,bakingpowder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt,andapinch of pepper in a bowl; set aside.
• Drain sweet potato. Pass through a ricer onto a baking sheet. Spread out; let cool 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in eggs and parsley. Add flour mixture; stir just until a sticky dough forms.
• Meanwhile, make the stew: Fill a medium bowl with cold water. Squeeze juice of 1 1/2 lemons into water; add rinds. Remove and discard tough outer leaves from 1 artichoke. Cut off top third; peel stem. Halve artichoke lengthwise; remove fuzzy choke, and discard. Cut into 1-inch-thick wedges, and place in lemon water. Repeat with remaining artichokes.
• Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add Parmesan rind. Drain artichokes; add to pot. Stir in stock and 4 1/2 cups water; add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add carrots. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes. Squeeze remaining 1/2 lemon into pot; stir in tarragon.
• Using 2 spoons, form 18 dumplings, dropping into stew as you work. Cover; cook 7 minutes. Add asparagus. Cook, covered, until the dumplings are cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove rind before serving.

SPRING VEGETABLE STEW

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with water and add lemon juice. Trim artichokes, quarter them and place in the water as you go along.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy, lidded skillet or Dutch oven and add onions and celery. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir for about a minute until you can smell the fragrance of the garlic, and add fennel and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 8 minutes more, until the fennel has softened.
• Drain artichoke hearts and add to the pan. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add water and salt to taste and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are very tender and fragrant. Stir in chopped fennel fronds and/or mint and simmer for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot or warm, on its own as a side, tossed with pasta or as a topping for grains.

LAMB STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium (10- to 11-inch) ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Transfer the bacon to a large plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Dry the lamb with paper towels and toss it in a bowl first with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and then with the 1/4 cup of flour. Raise the heat to medium high and cook half the lamb in the bacon fat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Add the lamb to the plate with the bacon and brown the second batch, also transferring it to the plate. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.
• Pour the lamb and bacon, along with any juices that collect, back into the pot. Add the beef stock, wine, tomatoes (including the juice), thyme, rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, onions, and turnips, cover, and return to the oven for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender.
• Mash the 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the stew, and simmer on top of the stove for 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the peas and parsley, season to taste, and serve hot in large shallow bowls.

VEAL STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Brown the pieces of veal a few at a time in a heavy casserole in the oil and remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off any excess fat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until soft.
• Add the white wine and stir, scraping up any cooking particles from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, thyme, lemon peel and salt and pepper and bring to boil. Turn down heat, cover and cook gently for one hour.
• Add the carrots and cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, in a steamer cook the new potatoes and turnips until tender (about 20 minutes). Cook the green beans and peas until tender (about five minutes). Add them to the stew and serve.

LAMB STEW WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Wrap herb sprigs, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie into a bundle to make a bouquet garni.
• Pat lamb dry, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 6- to 7-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch, transferring with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to pot and sauté chopped onion and garlic over moderately high heat, stirring, until onion is golden, about 6 minutes. Add wine and stock and deglaze pot by boiling, scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Return lamb to pot along with any juices that have accumulated in bowl and add bouquet garni.
• Braise lamb, covered, in middle of oven until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in salt and pepper.
• While lamb is braising, cook pearl onions in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking (reserve cooking water). Remove onions and peel.
• Boil turnips, carrots, zucchini, and sugar snaps separately in reserved cooking water until just tender, about 5 minutes for turnips, 4 to 6 minutes for carrots, 2 minutes for zucchini, and 1 1/2 minutes for sugar snaps. Transfer vegetables as cooked with a slotted spoon to ice water and, when all are cooked, drain vegetables in a colander.
• Make a beurre manié by stirring together butter and flour in a small bowl to form a paste. Bring lamb stew to a simmer on stovetop and whisk in enough beurre manié, bit by bit, to thicken to desired consistency, then simmer about 2 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.