June 15th: spring veggie ragout

Although we often slip away from it, the criterion I've set for retrying or keeping recipes in this house is that the food is so good, we want to eat the exact same thing again tomorrow (not that we actually do eat the same thing two days in a row). Tonight's meal fit that criterion perfectly. Another way of saying the same thing is that supper is so good, I resent having to share it, even if the recipe tells me it makes 6 servings (I've reduced that to 4 below). This one is definitely worth trying again:


Spring Vegetable Ragout (Ottawa Citizen)


1 lb (454 g) fingerling potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 tbsps butter, divided
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 head of garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1/2 lb (225 g) carrots, sliced into pencil-width pieces

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/4 lb (110 g) baby collard greens (the original recipe called for arugula)
1 tbsp minced fresh herbs (e.g. chives, parsley)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Steam the potatoes in a tightly covered pot over boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes, then drain.


Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the onion and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.


Reduce the heat to low. Add the carrots and cauliflower to the pan, then scatter the greens  overtop. Cover tightly and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. The greens should exude enough moisture, but if the pan looks dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or white wine.


When the carrots are tender, transfer the steamed potatoes to the pan and stir gently to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of butter to the pan in chunks, stirring them into the vegetables to make a light sauce. Scatter the fresh herbs over top, and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Makes 4 servings.

This is not a complete supper on its own, but a great accompaniment to meat or, in our case tonight, spaghetti and tomato sauce.

February 6th: slow-cooked beef ragout

I'm heading to Edmonton for four days tomorrow and had to get some hearty meat and pasta cooked up for G & O before I take off. This is a favourite slow-cooker meal from March 2004's Chatelaine: Slow-cooked beef ragout. I've made some variations on the original recipe, in that I replace the red wine and the chicken broth with 2 cans of beef broth, and I don't include the olives. Hmm, I should consider adding the olives back in, for Olivia's sake. She lives up to her name with her love of olives. The last time we had this meal was in the summer, when I made it in advance of our camping trip, and we ate it with rigatoni. It was so great having the food made ahead of time that I aim to do that every time we camp now. This time, as a winter meal after skating outdoors, it was well-appreciated again.

Think I'll go out to Alberta, weather's good there...