Veal Stew

This recipe lets you stretch a small amount of expensive veal into lots of servings. This stew is good if each bowl is garnished with a dollop of drained yogurt or sour cream.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1” cubes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 small cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
• 1 medium zucchini, peeled and diced
• 1 cup leeks, white part only, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 2 small turnips, peeled and diced
• 1 cup celery root
• 2 small parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• ½ cup beef broth
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 small head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 (14 ½-ounce) can French-style green beans, drained
• ¼ cup seedless green grapes, cut in half

1. Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a large food-storage bag; shake to mix. Add the veal cubes and toss to coat in flour. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veal and brown for 5 minutes. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the onions are transparent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to the slow cooker.
2. Add the green bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, leeks, turnips, celery root, parsnips, and carrots to the slow cooker. Stir to mix together with the meat and sautéed vegetables.
3. Add the broth, wine, parsley, thyme, marjoram, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes to a bowl or measuring cup; stir to mix, and then pour into the slow cooker. Add as much of the cabbage as will sit on top of the ingredients already in the slow cooker. Cover and begin to cook on low for up to 8 hours. As the cabbage wilts, add the rest, stirring it into the stew about halfway through the cooking time. An hour before the end of the cooking time, add the green beans and green grapes. The stew is done when the meat and all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender.