I know there are two distinct camps out there- those who have had long hot Summers and are ready for Fall, and those who feel that Summer went by too fast (or never really came at all!) and therefore would like to squeeze out some last bits of seasonal warmth before embracing the coming chill in the air.
As you know, I'm in the second camp. And this entry and this recipe are for those of you who agree with me.
VOODOO STEW (makes enough to feed many, and to keep summer from leaving just yet)
Directions: On the first day you feel a distinctly Autumnal chill in the air, pull out your trusty crock pot.
Put into the crock pot in the following order: some onions sautéed with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and turmeric, then some diced potatoes and carrots sautéed with plenty more salt, pepper, paprika, and turmeric, then two fistfuls of barley (regular, unpearled, rinsed), one fistful of lentils (rinsed), three or four big fistfuls of roughly chopped kale, a bottle (12 oz.) of the summeriest beer you can find, and 1-2 bottles worth of veggie broth (24 oz. or ~ 3 cups- you'll need to watch your crock pot and add liquid as needed, depending on whether you want a very thick stew or a thinner one), and some righteous anger. This last ingredient is critical!
Set your crock pot to low and go away for 6-8 hours. Do something Summery, like lounging in a hammock.
Serve with some crusty bread and keep muttering under your breath how Summer better not leave yet. If you do everything just right, you might be successful, like I was, in bringing on some warmer weather. The last few days have been downright hot! For the next few days, I will be brining you Summery posts involving fruits, farmers markets, and other fun. Update 9/25 : I just heard that yesterday, the city of Syracuse beat the all-time record for heat- this stew really works!
Happy Autumn!
One year ago today: On 24 September 2006, I blogged about apple picking and Oktoberfest.
Posts
19 comments:
I'm in both camps... I want to sip cold beers on the porch, grill veggie kabobs & eat watermelon, but I also want to bake pies, roast veggies, and rake leaves... Anyway, I hope you get lots of lingering summer days to fulfill your wishes!
oh my, this looks absolutely stunning! feed me and give me your hammock? oh, and a beer too, please. ;)
Yum...I love the name!
oooh, I just made some barley last night - this stew looks like a great way to use it!! and as much as I enjoy the sunshine of summer (and all the berries and such that are in season at the farmer's markets), I'm definitely in the camp of people who LOOOOVE autumn, and are totally ready for it :0)
Oh I definitely miss the summer- but I think a lot of that also has to do with the fact that fall means school starts.
The stew looks great and I can definitely see how that last ingredient is so vital! That and the lounging in the hammock part!
This looks delicious, and would be perfect for me, except for the fact that I've given up. Autumn is ALL over the place now, rain, cool winds, red and yellow leaves and cold dark mornings. There's nothing more I can do!
Sorry, I'm in camp #1...we're still in for 90 degree temps all week!! But maybe I could make it for a reverse voodoo stew down here. Maybe it'll send some of the warmth your way :-)
haha, that's such a cute story, bazu! Could you do anti-rain voodoo for me over here? ;-)
Summer is quickly vanishing over here, too, and I kind of wish it would stick around for just a little bit longer. Though it will be nice to have baked apples and squash and other autumny things.
I'm so excited for fall... but I wonder if your voodoo stew could also work the opposite way for those of us ready to see the leaves change...
Voodoo stew...awesome!
Yeah the hot weather sure is here again. We canceled a 10 mile hike on the weekend and decided to try it when the cooler whether returns. Instead we did a cooler 3 mile hike as we played a round of disc golf in my favorite park.
Looking forward to the farmer's market posts. I think I am about to head out to the one by my office before I drive home.
Mmm, looks like wonderful fall comfort food. I can imagine how good that would make the house smell!
Well, your voodoo is very powerful it is making its way all along the east coast. I am ready for fall- my favorite time of the year. I am still enjoying the last of the summer fruits and veggies and I am not ready to give them up, so I am somewhat torn.
thankyou thankyou thankyou for the hot weather *big hug*
Hubby and I were in New Hampshire and Vermont this weekend and we saw trees changing and pumpkins at the farmer's markets - I'm glad that it's not THAT fall-like here yet :-)
Cool recipe. Cool name. I am of the camp who never wants summer to leave. *Sigh*
Bazu, I'm so interested in your take on Ahmadinejad's visit. I've been in NYC for work the last few days, and as you know, it's been a real topic of discussion.
I love barley. And beer. And beer and barley together. Basically, your stew looks great. As does your hammock. We have one, but unfortunately we have nowhere to hang it in this house :(
Voodoo Stew looks awesome! and even though I'm in camp #one, I'm ready to fire up the crockpot. Could I rake some leaves while it cooks instead? :)
Some righteous anger - I love it! That must be what made the finished product look so appealing. I also wanted to comment on your previous post and how absolutely stunning you look in a leprechaun hat. I'd be all up for that Irish festival. I don't think Labatt's Blue or Bud Light really fit into the theme, but hey - ya do what ya gotta do.
BTW - just a bit of trivia for you - Molson Canadian outsells Labatt's Blue here, but Coors Light & Budweiser are also very popular.
Sounds delicious--it might even convince me that this little backlash of summer that we're having is worth it!
I love the camera angle on your hammock shot. Very artistic.
The voodoo stew looks delicious. If I didn't have a big batch of split pea soup (from VWAV - unfortunately I thought it was very bland) in my fridge I would make this in heartbeat.
Post a Comment