Winter Warmers
HEARTY SAUSAGE + BARLEY STEW
A one-pot stew on Christmas Eve is my family’s holiday tradition. I use locally harvested elk or German pork sausage for this recipe, but any grass-fed animal sausage will do. Vegetarians can substitute another can of garbanzo beans for the sausage. This stew tastes best eaten under a cozy blanket by a crackling fire with loved ones.
Serves 6-8
1. In a soup pot over medium heat, cook the onion in the oil until it softens. Add the garlic and oregano; stir for another minute until fragrant.
2. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Once the sausage is nearly cooked through, pour in the broth, barley, carrots, celery, zucchini, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook covered for two to three hours, adding water as needed to keep the stew from getting dry.
3. Just before serving, stir in chopped greens until just wilted. Serve with your favorite green salad, cornbread and local honey.
1 Tbsp sunflower or canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound locally harvested sausage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2 quarts beef or vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked barley
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juice
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained
2-3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
A handful of fresh leafy greens, chopped (kale, spinach or chard work well here)
BISON + VEGGIE STEW
Grass-fed meats, including wild game, provide us humans with healthier fats and a wider variety of vitamins and antioxidants compared to meat from animals raised on grain, corn or in feedlots. Bison can be hunted in some western states, and grass-fed bison is available in most health food and specialty markets.
Serves 6-8
1. Rinse and dry the stew meat with paper towels. Season it with salt and pepper. Toss the bacon fat or ghee and meat into the pot. Cook over medium heat until seared, about five minutes total. Remove the meat.
2. In the same pot over medium heat, cook the onion in the oil until it softens. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, carrots, celery and potatoes; stir for another minute until fragrant. Add the meat, broth, tomato paste, bay leaves and pepper. (You can add the wine here if using.) Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook covered for two to three hours, adding water as needed to keep the stew from getting dry.
3. Just before serving, top with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with a bright green salad, and a baguette with butter or olive oil.
2 Tbsp bacon fat or ghee
1 lb bison, cubed stew meat
1 Tbsp sunflower or canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 small potatoes, halved
2 quarts beef broth
1 cup red wine, optional
1/2 cup tomato paste
2-3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
Parsley, chopped for serving
Photos by Cat Mayer.