The muscular days of Aotearoa's summer are almost over. The evenings are crisp, the mornings dark. Our kitchen is redolent with the smell of apples, grapes and Golden Queen peaches. Scorpio is poking his nose over the south-east horizon; and the sunlight has a fragile, melancholy quality to it. The first trees are beginning to turn golden.
I'm always sad when summer is over, but there are things I do enjoy about the cooler weather. I like snuggling up in bed with a good book. I like wearing fleecy boots and bright merino tops. I like eating roasts, soups, casseroles and stews. This past weekend my flatmate hauled out his crock-pot which hasn't been used since about October. If you don't have a crock-pot I suggest you invest in one, because they're not expensive and they're absolutely the best - and easiest - way to cook in winter. There are few things more comforting than coming home from work on a chilly evening to the smell of a simmering carbonnade or minestrone.
For tonight's dinner I made cassoulet, a French casserole of sausages and beans. This is a favourite crock-pot recipe: I don't pretend it's authentic but it is cheap, easy and yummy. If you don't have a crock-pot it can be just as easily made in a casserole dish in the oven [bake at 180 degrees C for about one hour] or in a big pot on the stove top [simmer, covered, for an hour]. It is important to brown the sausages and onion first, which ever method you use. I serve the cassoulet with steamed home-grown broccoli and brown rice or potatoes - and there's always plenty left over for our lunch the next day.
Ingredients:
500 grams good quality beef sausages
2 small onions, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of red kidney beans, drained of liquid
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup stock
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
black pepper to taste
Brown the sausages and the onion in a frying pan. Chop the sausages into chunks and transfer both sausages and onions into the crock-pot. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add a small amount of water if necessary. Before serving take the crock-pot lid off and cook for a further half-hour to thicken the liquid.
Photo: cassoulet waiting to be cooked...
6 comments:
That's an interesting picture, Anne Marie. I was trying to work it out before I read your post - some sort of resin embedded jewellery?
Just as you begin to hunker down we expand into light and warmth. All the seasons have their enjoyable bits!
i love how you incorporate the passing of seasons into your stories ... especially being on the other side of the world, we're just starting to emerge into spring ... after months of long nights, the snow is finally melting and we are allowed to open our windows and hear the outside world again.
Crockpots are a godsend, indeed!
give us an update soon on your knee!
RR and Honour - I envy you both, looking forward to spring! It must be such a delight after the long, cold winters, especially when you've been snow-bound [we don't get snow in this part of the country]. Hope you're both enjoying your warmer weather!
I often get the "autumn blues" around this time of year. But this year I am focusing on all the things I enjoy about autumn, in an effort to keep the blues away, and mostly this has been successful :-)
Its wierd for us western-hemisphere types to read about autumn when we're just preparing for summer.
wish i hadn't read the recipie - all hungry now!
Hungry Pixies - clearly you northern hemisphere people have your seasons aroud the wrong way :-)
You could just make the recipe, of course.
Oops yes of course, northern hemisphere.
Honestly: no wonder my Geography teacher used to say he was surprised i could find my way home xx
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