Garden Stew
This recipe is inspired by a greek dish called fasolakia. I've changed it a bit to take advantage of the fresh things I have in abundance from the garden. I also add some protein (optional) to turn it into a filling and delicious summer meal.
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
3 large fresh tomatoes (or several small ones or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1 pound yukon gold potatoes
1 lb green beans
a bunch of fresh chives
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley or 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
2 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped or 1 teaspoon dried dill
10 oz salmon fillet, skin removed (optional)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
black pepper
Dice the onion, tomatoes, and potatoes.
Trim the ends off green beans and cut them into bite size pieces.
Mince the garlic. Chop fresh herbs.
Place olive oil in a large pot. Cook the onion over medium high heat until translucent (2-3 minutes).
Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook for about five minutes until tomatoes start to fall apart.
Add the garlic, potatoes, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir these together.
Lay the green beans and herbs (fresh or dry) on top of the potato-tomato-onion mixture. Do not stir. Add water until it just covers the beans. Cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir everything together. Lower the heat to low and cover. Cook for another 30 minutes.
If you are using the optional salmon fillet, add it to the pot when there is 10 minutes of cooking time left. Lay it on top and nestle it down into the cooking liquid. Cover again and continue to cook for the remaining 10 minutes. The salmon should be cooked through - flake it into bite size pieces with your spoon or spatula and stir it in to the stew.
Taste and add black pepper and additional salt as needed. Serve with crusty white bread, steakhouse bread, or your favorite dipping bread.
NOTES:
Many different herbs will work in this dish. Use what you have available and experiment with different flavors.
If you prefer to keep this vegan, try adding another bean (such as cannellini) in place of the fish. You could also choose to add diced chicken if you eat meat - add it earlier so it has enough time to cook through.