slow cooked roast stew

local veal roast, hungry cold bellies, and a crock pot that needs broken in means roast stew for ages. 

ingredients:

• 3-4lb lean, beef roast(chuck, bottom, round, etc)
• 4 med potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces and peeled if desired
• 2 celerey stalks, chopped
• 1 med-large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 5oz Can Tomato Paste
• 2 C of fresh or frozen Peas, Carrots, and/or Green Beans
• 2 TBSP gluten free flour
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp cilantro
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• Salt, Pepper to taste

Throw that big ol' roast in the bottom of the pot and dump your vegetables, tomato paste, garlic, and spices(minus the flour!) on top. Cover and set to the low 300s, or a low crock setting, and let it sit for the next 10-12 hours. About 30 minutes before you serve, whisk together about two tablespoons of your flour of choice and a bit of water to make a paste-like substance. Throw that into your stew and mix it around to a get a fuller stew broth.

You can continue cooking long enough for the roast to fall apart naturally along the fat lines, or you can remove 1-2 hours from the end of your cook time, chop, and return to the crock to finish stewing.

The best part about slow cooking these stews and soups is the luxury of using frozen meats and veggies. Frozen goods can often go straight into the crock from the ice box. After half a day soaking in your veggie broth goodness, those frozen pieces will be thick, juicy and full of a flavor rarely achieved when fast cooking meats. And frozen vegetables are a great alternative to fresh produce in these barren, winter months. But don't you worry. Warm weather and a plethora of fresh, local produce is just around the corner.