Every time I want to complain about the weather, I remind myself that I’m not old enough to join AARP. I’m pretty sure you get to be a card carrying Weather Complainer once you join AARP. The thing is though, I haven’t seen much of the sun for the last 6 weeks and it’s totally crampin’ my style. I want to celebrate the bounties of summer and all the foods that go along with it, but it’s so drab and chilly. Once night falls, I want nothing more than to curl up with a hot bowl of stew (and my love, naturally). This is one of my go-to vegetable stews. It’s simple, filling, and hearty. No meat necessary and a cinch to prepare. Perfect for summers in San Francisco and an easy way to devour a bunch of vegetables all at once.
Oh! And how could I almost forget?
I was recently approached by the fine folks over at CSNStores.com about hosting a giveaway on my site. They sell everything from dinnerware, to cookware, to espresso machines. That means you could win a $25 gift certificate to any of their 200+ stores. If you’re anything like me, you’d take that $25 to buy something weird and impractical like a corkscrew or Pinocchio funnel from Alessi. Of course, you’re free to pick out whatever you like – even practical things. How quaint!
All you have to do to participate is 1) leave a comment (just one!) with your e-mail address so I have a way to contact you and 2) answer the following question:
What was the last memorable meal you cooked?
I’ll announce the winner on 8/18. Also, the giveaway is limited to those only within the US, Canada, the UK, und Deutschland. Due to shipping limitations, there are restrictions for those in the UK and Germany. You’d have to order from one of their UK or German sites, respectively. For everyone else, my sincerest apologies. For my next giveaway, I’ll be sure to include everyone. I won’t even forget Poland. Promise.
San Francisco Summer Stew
Print this recipe2 tablespoons cooking oil of your choice
1 onion, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced and cut into half moons
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
1 15-oz can of white beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup frozen green beans
optional: cheese (I used a mixture of parmesan, asiago, and romano), chopped parsley or basilHeat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and carrots, stir for about 30 seconds. Toss the zucchini into the pot and continue cooking for a couple more minutes.
Add the tomatoes to the saucepan, along with the water, spices, and potatoes. Lower heat and cover partially. Partially covered, let the stew simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white beans to the pot and continue simmering for another 10. The stew is ready when the potatoes are tender. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the green beans and continue cooking until heated through. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with cheese and fresh herbs, if desired.
Serves 4-6
Try the recipe index for more ideas.
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- black eyed pea stew
- okra and potato stew
- spicy chicken stew with roasted bell peppers
- spicy chicken stew
- sahlab & a giveaway
Tags: dinner, gluten-free, stew, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Last memorable meal for me was a Beef Wellington, memorable only in that my husband siad when we were first together that it was his alltime favourite meal. So for me it was memorable in the whole worry and stress of wanting to get it perfect as I wanted to serve it as a token of my love too.
I was happy that it went to plan served with dauphinoise potatoes and fine green beans and he loved it, said it was the best he had tasted. Wooho!! A great memory.
The last good memorable meal I cooked was a homemade sloppy-joe pizza. The crust turned out perfect and I was amazed at how simple it was to make my own sloppy-joe and how much better it was then Manwich or some other brand.
But I must confess the last memorable meal I cooked was from the box enchiladas. The only reason it was memorable was because they were so incredibly bad.
Hey there Rose! Your naan is the most amazing thing in the world, no lie. My most memorable meal I cooked was really dessert, and it technically involved both cooking and baking. I made Julia Child’s Bombe aux Trois Chocolats–the most amazing cake in the world. It’s like a giant truffle. I made it for my dad’s birthday, and that cake takes over 3 hours to make, but it’s absolutely worth it! You should try it sometime
Hi Rosy,
The most memorable meal I ever cooked was Hummamole. That’s where you take store-bought Hummus (because hummus is hard to make) and mash in some Avocado, diced tomato, and lime juice. It is also known as Guacamus, but only by idiots.
It was memorable because I suffer from short-term memory loss and I just made it last night.
-Welah, the second-most powerful lawyer in Texas
Drew!!
Btw, nice website.
Hey there!
The last memorable meal I cooked was a simple pasta dish with pesto and potatoes. The reason why it was so memorable is because my husband, who loathes all pasta, enjoyed it!
I threw in a slightly spicy turkey sausage with the potatoes and added a few teaspoons of this delicious pesto sauce and some parmesan/asiago cheese. He ate it and lurved it. My family members liked it to. It was quite tasty, I’ll say.
Seriously, can dessert count as a meal? Because I made my husband a whiskey cake for his birthday this weekend, and it is… memorably strong.
If it has to be a well-balanced meal, then the peanut sesame noodles I made the other day were pretty memorable – a completely different peanut sauce than I’ve ever had before. It’s got a bunch of lime juice in it and it’s so bright!
My last memorable meal was with my boyfriend last Sunday. We went blueberry picking, and had agreat time. The berries were used to make blueberry pancakes, and homemade blueberry syrup.That was our first picking, but it won’t be our last. I plan on making more dishes soon with this delicious fruit.
Ooh.. a giveaway!
My last memorable dish was this bulgur – omg was it ever delicious! I am still thinking about it.
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/turkish-bulgur-pomegranate-and-almond-salad/
The last memorable meal I made was a box of Pizza Rolls last night. They were pepperoni, and I microwaved them. This was particularly memorable because I still have diarrhea from them, and my butthole burns real bad.
Now, where’s my prize?
I made a memorable meal on Saturday. Grilled, stuffed jalapenos – the memory of the hotness of those jalapenos will stay with me for a loooong time!
Grilled pork tenderloin with dry rub and the highlight of the meal – Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Southwestern Potato Salad. Since I was doing Mexican, but also grilling, I wanted a Southwestern style potato salad and found the recipe online. It is so delicious. My husband, our friends and I all loved it.
My email is susitravl(at)gmail(dot)com