Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Chowning's Tavern Brunswick Stew

I love my crockpot.  I love it so much I'd marry it if I could.  It saves me time, money, and mental "what's for dinner anguish".  Pretty much everything I'm looking for in an appliance.  Enough gushing about my crock.  Tonight:  Chowning's Tavern Brunswick Stew!  Chownings is a Tavern from colonial Williamsburg that my family ate at when we were in Virginia in June.  We had a guy entertaining us at the table with his hurdy gurdy, which was kind of surreal. The whole experience was well done, not cheezy at all.  The crafts and craftpeople were amaaazing!  Anyway, back to the food. I had the "real" Virginia Ham sandwich, which I was way too rich, salty, and smoked for my tastes, but it was grown and cured right there in the little town and very authentic,so I forced myself to eat most of it.  Audrey had the stew and loved it!  I figured it must be delicious because she ate the whole bowl including the evil okra.  I'm making a homemade cornbread to go with it.  This is one of the few days I've had at home where I haven't been cleaning for moths this summer.  Ok, I am avoiding the basement outside of our apartment, but it has been a lovely, calm, fall domestic day--and I LOVE IT!!  Audrey and I got math and economics done today and she chased chickens around while I cooked.  Sigh, it was sooo good.  I have been too busy, too stressed out, too distracted for my own good.  Nothing like a slow cooked day!
Anyway, the recipe is authentic except I omitted the squirrel because I didn't feel like running around the yard.  Yeah, right.  Serves 8-10. Can't wait to try it!

1 chicken (about 3 lbs) I used a whole totally frozen, plopped it into the crock last night at 2am with a quart of warm water and put it on low for 10hrs (this was according to directions from crock pot).

1 - 16oz can of dice tomatoes
2 - cups OMgosh...Um, the picture I took does not have the pretty little yellow kernels of corn in it, because I forgot it!!  So I just now ran, dumped it in the crock and came back-whew!  Anyway, just imagine there is corn in this--I know you can do it!)
2 medium peeled and 1/2inch diced potatoes
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 cup frozen lima beans, eeew. They might not be so nasty in soup, but I am not a lima fan.  I used edamame.
1 cup frozen (I used fresh) sliced okra (yayayaayayay!)
1/2 tablespoon, fresh ground pepper
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

2 comments:

  1. This sounds like a good stew. I love okra too. I'll look for some at the market on Saturday. Glad you had a restful day. :O)

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  2. I too love my crock pot so much I would marry it if I could. Ditto with my pressure cooker -despite a little spat recently. I just can't choose which one I love the most!

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