#7 Summer Sunshine in a Pot...Italian Vegetable Stew

Saturday's Farmers Market goodies:  zucchini, onions, Yukon Gold potatoes, green peppers, eggplant, cantaloupe, and peaches.  Grand total = $19.50.

Ever notice how MUCH kids grow during the summer months?  Especially other people's kids.  You don't see them for three months, then in September when you see them again, it's shocking.  Huge leaps in growth.  All that fresh air, sunshine, sleeping in, and nourishing, fresh summer food just makes kids bloom.  And grown-ups too!  Don't you just feel energized, and look more healthy and vibrant in the summer?  I know I do.

I'm convinced that freshly-picked summertime goodies have something very special that can not be bought from the store in the middle of winter...some vital, health-giving goodness that cures what ails ya, and keeps you well and strong.  There's so much nourishment in this recipe...it's probably going to give me super-hero powers of some sort. 

"Italian Vegetable Stew" from Slow Cooker Revolution, by America's Test Kitchen.

  

Here's a picture of mine; the color of my soup was not as pretty as the photo in the book, but it was delicious.

 

Most of the market veggies you see above went into the pot for this recipe.  I had some tomatoes leftover in the fridge, and some Parmesan, so didn't need to buy those, and some chicken stock in the freezer.  So not counting those items, this stew/soup cost me $9.50 in fresh seasonal veggies.  It's made in the 6 qt slow cooker.  The recipe says it's 6 servings, but that's gotta be big, dinner-size servings. It looks like more than that to me especially if you pair it with a wrap or sandwich. 

I'm not going to lie friends; this recipe requires some work.  This is not one of those "throw-it-in-on-your-way-out-the-door" kind of things.  It's something you probably make mostly just in mid-August, when gardens are overflowing, and your neighbors are playing "ding dong ditch", leaving giant bags of zucchini on your doorstep.  This is a Sunday afternoon kind of deal, and if you have family members who can safely wield a knife, line 'em up for some veggie chopping, assembly-line style.

If you like Ratatouille you'll love this dish.  It's all the traditional ratatouille flavors, plus potatoes.  I didn't have any fresh herbs so I used dried oregano and dried basil.  If you have fresh you're supposed to add the basil at the end, but since I was using dried I just threw it in there while it cooked.

A copy of the recipe is on the Internet Here.  It says adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution, but the ingredients look the exact same to me.  The picture in the book is beautiful. I wish you could see it.

One thing I really like about this book is the fact that they specifically mark for you recipes that are "easy prep".  Those are the quickie recipes you can get into the pot in a flash.  This recipe is not one of those.

Cheers, to your health!

 

(A kitchen scale is a very handy tool to have, by the way.)

*Update:  this dish was very well received by the whole family, but the more hot-blooded among us thought it was too much of a "warming" dish for August...they said it made them too hot right now; but that they would really love it in cold weather months.  Personally, I am always freezing cold, winter or summer (in the air-conditioning), so I love soup and stew all year round!