Slow Cooker Beef Stew I
Tonight we are honored to have a very special guest joining us for dinner! I dragged my little ones around the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market this morning looking for fresh, Spring foods to serve with our beef. The menu I settled on is as follows:
We will start with Artisan crackers with Southern Ranch soft goat cheese by Green Haven Farm Cheeses. Our main dish will be Slow Cooker Beef Stew I from allrecipes.com. We will have a side of pencil thin, oven roasted asparagus. And for dessert, a refreshing Strawberry-Rhubarb Crunch (can be found at www.allrecipes.com) The Rhubarb was from Glen-Eco Farm (glenecofarm.com).
I am very much looking forward to feeding my family and our guest with this nourishing food! There is nothing better than preparing a meal for someone else to enjoy. Well, maybe growing and preparing food is better. In that case, I’m looking forward to seeing what my garden will yield this year.
I will be planting Kale di Toscana, or Dinosaur kale, later today. I picked that up from Radical Roots Farm, also of the Harrisonburg Market. Sadly, I am not very adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. However, this kale is something that anyone can cook and enjoy. It is delicious! It has bumpy, dark green leaves that resemble spinach, but they are longer. To prepare kale, wash it and remove the “ribs” or stems that run through the center of the leaves. I usually tear the leaves and steam them. They are a wonderful addition to any soup, stew, or even scrambled eggs!