Home Style Cooking

A lovely home style meal to welcome this first day of autumn:

Vegetable Beef Soup (my own variation of Grandma's recipe)

artisan bread

fresh apple pie

Loving the crispness in the air... leaving the window open at night so I have reason to snuggle under the blanket... passing out jackets for the evening bike rides... warming my fingers on a cup of coffee...cooking and baking feels so cozy...Oh, yes. I am ready for fall.


Vegetable Beef Soup (makes a large batch... is great for freezing!)
Heat 2 T. oil in large skillet.
Add 2 1/2 lbs. stew meat, 1/2 cup chopped onion. Brown meat and onions.
Add 1 c. diced potatoes, 1 c. shredded cabbage, 1 c. sliced carrots, 4 c. chopped tomatoes, 6 cups water, 1/2 cup uncooked rice... 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well. Bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for at least one hour.

Because I have an abundance in my garden right now, I used chopped fresh tomatoes and herbs. The original recipe calls for 2 cans of tomato juice, or 2 cans of sliced tomatoes... I have also used V8 juice in the past. The amount of water can be adjusted according to how thick you desire. Grandma's recipe uses browned hamburger... which is also good, but when I can catch a sale, I prefer to use stew meat. This is really a very versatile stew... any thing goes!