In honour of Rose Gray and all women everywhere who have achieved so much in their life, and to celebrate the Slow Food Movement we honour you with a delicious, simple dish using seasonally produced British ingredients. This is a good, hearty bean stew that can be made with or without meat. Enjoy it with some crusty bread to mop up all the lovely juices!
Hearty Bean Stew – you will need (serves 4):
500g fresh broad beans
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
6 fresh ripe red tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste/puree
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 litre of vegetable, chicken or lamb stock
1 bay leaf
Handful of finely chopped parsley
Half a teaspoon All-spice seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil for frying
Preparation:
Heat a little olive oil in a large pot and add the finely diced onions, celery sticks and carrots. Cook on a medium heat until softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste then cook down until they have softened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the broad beans and add just enough stock to cover the beans. Throw in the bay leaf and all-spice seasoning. Turn the heat down and leave to simmer until the beans are cooked (softened slightly but with a little bite still) and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley.
As an alternative you can add Kidney beans, Cannellini beans or lentils.
