Winter Root Vegetable Beef Stew

One of the few things that gets me though our cold and snowy winters are warming stews… potajes. The simplicity and versatility of winter stews are innumerable. You can use any kind of meat, fish or vegetable and let it simmer all day long filling your house with warmth and comfort. Not to mention moisture if you need some humidity in your house.

I have a storage of winter vegetables from last season’s farmers market that were begging to be used. Every year at our last farmers market of the season, I stock up on winter root vegetables since they store so well. After a couple of months, they will start to regrow leaves and stems which makes it very clear that they are still alive and nourishing.

For this beef stew in order to make use of my winter root vegetables, I decided to add rutabaga and turnips with the traditional carrots and potatoes.

Winter root vegetables just captivate me. They are so rough and dirty yet, traditionally, have been the source of sustenance for many throughout the cold, fierce winter months.

I can’t wait to grow my own rutabagas this year. Rutabagas aid in digestion and are a great source of vitamin c and potassium.  This Beef stew is also filled with omega 3 fatty acids that come specifically from local Ebersole Cattle Co’s, Grassfed Beef.

With grassfed beef, winter root vegetables and homemade beef stock, this stew will keep your immunity up and is completely satisfying.

Winter Root Vegetable Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs grassfed beef stew meat, cut into 1″ pieces
• 2 rutabagas, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 3 turnips, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 3-4 carrots, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 5-6 small potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 tomatoes, skinned and diced (I used frozen from last years harvest) or 2 cans diced tomatoes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup good quality red wine *see tip at bottom of post
• 2 cups beef stock, preferably homemade
• celtic sea salt
• crushed pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a cast iron skillet or pan, heat 2-3 tbs olive oil.  Add the onion, celery and carrots.  Saute until the onions are translucent and the celery has cooked through.  Set Aside.

2. In a heavy bottomed dutch oven, heat 2 tbls olive oil. Brown the beef stew meat.

3. Add the onion, celery, carrot mixture and tomatoes to the beef stew meat and saute for an additional 3-5 minutes.

4. Incorporate the beef stock, red wine, turnips and rutabagas.

5. Season with celtic sea salt and crushed pepper.

6. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2-3 hours.

7. 20 minutes before serving, add the potatoes and simmer until they are tender.

8. Serve

Buen Provecho!

*tip – Now that we have a local Trader Joes, you can find good quality Spanish Red Wine at great prices.  I’ve been purchasing Organic Tempranillo at an amazing $5.99 a bottle.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday’s.