Goat Stew

Woo hoo, i'm a stew fiend now! After my very first attempt at stew, i've gained confidence and am comfy just throwing things in and letting them 'stew' away all day. With delicious results!

Remember those shoulder steaks i picked up from Winn's Livestock and Hatchery? We thawed em out, chopped em up and tossed them with some flour and seasonings before cooking them slowly in my new dutch oven. By leaving the bones in, we got the benefit of the marrow infused into the stew liquids. Yum.

Goat Stew

• 2 goat shoulder steaks, chopped, fat included
•  Sprig fresh rosemary
• Bay leaf
• 2 carrots
• 3 potatoes
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 onion/ 1 leek
• 2 dried chillis
• 1 bunch radishes
• canned corn
• Splash red wine
• Water to cover meat/veg
• Salt/pepper
• Flour to coat (about a handful)

Cut the meat and toss it with the herbs and flour and toss into a pre-heated dutch oven. Brown meat by stirring about, but don't cook through. Add chopped onions, leeks and garlic and stir. Add potatoes and liquid to cover the meat and veg. Let come to a boil then turn way down, cover and let simmer for hours. Add carrots about halfway through. Adding a splash of apple cider vinigar a few minutes before serving is fun, too. The canned corn goes in right at the end. The vinegar helps to "lift" the flavor.

I topped the stew off with some baby arugula which added brightness, bite and some necessary green veg. Someone asked 'but how did it taste' about the ground goatmeat we had in our chilli recently, and i wasn't sure. This time, though: i can report. GOOD! Meaty, tender, lean, but just enough decadent to make it comfort food. Lunch leftovers never tasted so good.

Is it still stew season in your neck of the woods?

The Last Turkey Soup - Make it Better!

So it's a week or so after Thanksgiving. We've feasted. We've had turkey sandwiches. We've had turkey soup or pot pie. We're tired of turkey soup, but there's still some left in that big ole pot in the fridge. What to do with it?

I puzzled over this quandary last night and scrimcoached something highly delectable (and certainly another factor in my increasing winter chub - really? pasta and sausage for dinner? Too many carbs, but too delicious not to have seconds)

My base turkey soup consisted mainly of turkey carcass cooked for about 6 hours with onions, bay leaves, salt, pepper, jalapenos, whatever else you add to stock. Turkey Soup II night added some squash, hominy, leftover spinach noodles, some cabbage. You get the idea, it's turkey soup with veggies to my liking. By day 4 or so all that was left was mostly just turkey stock and way cooked down veggies. How to transform this boring soup into a deliciously addictive cold night glop of yum?? Here's how:

Add 2 chicken sausage links, halfed long ways then chopped into small chunks. Add another fresh chopped jalapeno or two. Once the soup has boiled a bit, turn down and simmer for a few minutes. Near ready to eat time add some orzo - i think i used about a cup or so. Also add a large spoonful of tomato paste, about 1/3 a small can and stir in. Cook until the orzo is cooked to soft but not total mush and turn off heat. The orzo swells and is cooked with turkey stock instead of plain water and is thus intensely flavorful and rich. Serve in large bowls and top with some shredded mozz and cheddar. OH Man this is good. Salt to taste.... and your seconds will be even yummier because the orzo will continue to swell and fill with flavorful goodness.

no pics, we consumed it promptly and the recipe was too nebulous to really count as a 'recipe' per say - but i just had to share this with you, and write it down for my future rememberings. It's all about the orzo and the tomato paste - the sausage isn't bad either ;)