Brunswick Bean Stew for Daring Cooks

Daring challenges are always surprising.  Some take days upon days.  Some take hours.  Some are mostly about a new technique and flavour.  This is one of the latter ones.  It’s simple (especially if you make it the way I did), delicious, and the most pure form of comfort food.  This was also my transfer meal.  I had my laptop open in the kitchen as I made this, dashing over every once in awhile to see what the darling Barbara of Vino Luci was doing or telling me how to do something with the new site.  I absolutely love the site, and I hope you do too!  Let me know if there are any quirks and I’ll do my best to fix them!

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

Brunswick stew is new to me, but I am very glad I was introduced to it.  It’s comfort food.  Chili-esque without the heat, and different flavours.  Essentially, a fantastic stew.  Mom asked me to write down the recipe stat and dad simply loved it.  It was good.  Even easier than pie!

Brunswick Bean Stew
Adapted from the April 2010 Daring Cooks Challenge.  Adaptation by Lauren of Celiac Teen.
Ingredients
~4 strips bacon
2 potatoes (peeled if thick-skinned, leave skin on if the skin is thin), diced
1 onion, diced
1 very ripe tomato, diced
3/4 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen corn
2 cans mixed beans
broth (chicken or vegetable – whatever you have on hand)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
1 bay leaf
salt
pepper
2 tbsp butter
tomato juice

Steps
1. Fry bacon in your stock pot.  Once cooked, remove from pan and place on paper towel.  Once cooled, crumble the bacon.

2. Place potatoes, onion, tomato, lima beans, corn, mixed beans, crumbled bacon, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and enough stock to barely cover the vegetables into the warm stockpot over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer.

3. Salt and pepper as needed and add the butter into the simmering pot.  Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender and liquid has reduced.  Add tomato juice (and stock) as needed to achieve the correct consistency.  Cover, if wanted.  Simmer for as long as you wish (I did about 1 1/2 hours), stirring every so often.

4. Remove bay leaf, serve and enjoy!

Yes, this is really quite tasty and comforting.  I skipped the multiple meats and went for a hearty bean stew.  Perfect for a chilly day.  I just hope that there are no more this month!  It’s nearly summer (a girl can dream, right ;D).  Anyways, besides the stew, I am loving the new version of my site.  Thanks again Barbara! PS: You can subscribe to the new updated feed!

Yesterday, I was also featured on Gluten-Free Frenzy, so go check that out!  Fun fact: Next week it’s not only my 17th birthday, but Celiac Teen turns two =D.  And yes, that is a print button.  Slowly, I’m making all of my recipes printable.  It’s another thing that’s in transition!

xoxo
Lauren
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