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Beef Stew and Raised Beds
Hello to Spring, Farewell to Winter….
Having drunk more Sancerre than I probably should have done last night I decided the best way of clearing my head would be to do an honest days digging in the kitchen garden. There was the small matter of a wind blown polytunnel to see to first, it was two smaller tunnels joined together but I am currently having a rethink in layout terms and it may have to make way for my super deluxe 30ft x 10ft tunnel.
Despite the blizzard conditions of late the onions and garlic are doing well, green shoots abound and the cloches are keeping the rabbits at bay. My new herb bed seems to be coming to life, the angelica is looking very healthy after its transplant late last year as does the salad burnet. Talking of transplants, my fabulous Old Laxton English Apple tree which I also moved last year and have pruned to form an espalier is doing well, daffodils have emerged around the base and I have planted a row of common thyme as a border for it.
I now have four raised beds at the front of the garden, roughly 20ft x 8ft and they all need digging over. I managed to finish two of them but a combination of persistant rain and persistant back ache called time on an otherwise successful day.
Spring is in the air, I am already planning where the beans, summer squash, brassicas and varietal herbs are going to go, some summer sun cannot come soon enough for me. But there is still a chill and that was a good enough excuse to have the last of the winter dishes for my dinner.
I love root vegetables and although I am ready to eat something else now I had beef stew on my mind. Beef stew with chunks of root vegetables and herb dumplings swimming about in a rich gravy is about as English as you can get. The beef started simmering in the late morning flavoured with bay, thyme and a little rosemary. A couple of hours later and in went rough cut parsnip, turnip, swede and potato. Lid back on and back to digging.
When my excertions in the garden were over I made some dumplings which I flavoured with some lemon thyme I had dried over winter. These were sat on top of the stew so that the steam created by my tagine pot would keep them moist whilst cooking. Twenty minutes later the dumplings were brushed with herb butter, the lid removed and the dumplings given three minutes more for a crispy texture and nice glaze. A pan of sauteed savoy cabbage flavoured with caraway and pieces of caramelised onion and streaky bacon was all that was needed though a creamy potato gratin wouldn’t have gone amiss!
A pot of Coleman’s English mustard and a warming St Emillion finished it all off. Not a bad day all in all.
I’m sat here eating bran flakes with fully skimmed milk looking at that picture
Some of my onions are already starting to show and now, hopefully, the frost and snow is done with I hope to get planting in earnest
The KG sounds very impressive
Rod
March 27, 2008 @ 9:17 am
Miles,
That’s it - the next dish to be cooked in the Nean household. I can smell and taste it now.
I have been busy cutting away on my chives. They surprise me every year, suddenly they are there. I collect the seeds and grow fresh every 2-3 years.
Don’t forget to call in Rod’s offer to help with that polytunnel. I guess he will want feeding for extra strength so best start to prepare now
Elsie
March 27, 2008 @ 9:31 am
Miles,
Yours are the finest dumplings I’ve seen for quite some time and what a spectacular dish… sadly though they’re off limits for me at the moment due to a new eating plan. I daresay they’ll be occupying my dreams
Cid
March 27, 2008 @ 11:26 am
Funny, have an eye round roast thawing in the fridge for a stew this afternoon. Cid is correct, those dumplings look perfect. I was looking forward to this meal since yesterday, but looking at the picture has me excited. Wish I had a backyard. I make do with the farmer’s market 3 days a week, but it’s not the same as digging your own.
March 27, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
Miles,
Yummyyyy! Did you say you are still single?
Christine
March 27, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
Cid,
You’re not the first girl to compliment my dumplings
Miles
March 27, 2008 @ 5:26 pm
Dave,
Let us know what you cook, as for the Farmer’s Market-it’s certainly the next best thing and it’s great that you support them.
Miles
March 27, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Elsie,
Well done with the chives, I’ve just ordered Chinese chives today-quite a coincidence!
Miles
March 27, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
Miles,
I suspected as much…. told you that tagine of yours would attract female attention
For a moment there my heart skipped a double beat when Dave mentioned the backyard… only to realise he was referring to a veg patch and not a Moroccan scatter cushion paradise 
Cid
March 27, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
Dave,
“Have an eye round roast thawing”, I am intrigued. I have not heard that terminology before and wonder what sort of cut you are referring to?
Elsie
March 27, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
Elise,
It’s just one of the cuts from the round. It is very lean and usually no bigger than 3 lbs. (1.3 kilos - I had to look that up - scary) If you google “eye round roast” there are several pictures.
Miles,
In a dutch oven I sauteed thinly sliced onion and garlic in olive oil, removed them from the pot and browned the heavily seasoned roast on all sides. Onions went back in with 1/2 cup dry red wine and 2 cups brown stock, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, and bay. Cover and reduced the heat to a low simmer for a little less than 1 hour. Removed the meat @ 135 deg F let it sit and reduced the liquid in a thicker gravy. Served over thinly sliced, blanched potatoes that had been finished in the gravy. Overall disappointing, gravy and potatoes were excellent, but even at medium rare the roast was a little tough - full disclosure, I should have sliced it thinner. With some chopped Italian parsley it looked beautiful on the plate, I just had higher hopes.
March 28, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
Dave,
Thanks for that, I’m sorry the meat disappointed you. It sounds like a great dish though and the potatoes must have been great soaking up the meat juices.
Miles
March 28, 2008 @ 3:54 pm