Stew!

Today is a stew day. After all, Fall has arrived and the temperature was one Celsius when I woke this morning. I was also out hiking in the bush for a couple of hours before Noon today, so I figure I am entitled to something more than Kraft Dinner for Sunday supper.
There is something ceremonial about making stew. I zipped out to a local grocer this afternoon to get all fresh ingredients. The butcher guy gave me a bunch of beef loin cuts for stewing beef. Then I got mushrooms, onions, carrots, turnip, celery and red potatoes. I started searing the beef with a chunk of garlic in olive oil and then added half a glass of dry red wine and fresh ground pepper. The kitchen smelled great. I let the searing go on for about twenty minutes before I added onions and celery, and than after awhile, I added a few cups of beef broth with the turnips and carrots. I let it all simmer for a couple of hours before I added the mushrooms and potatoes. Then I made some garlic bread and pulled out the Royal Doulton china for the first time since Jennifer visited. I was thinking of enjoying it all with a glass of wine, but then I realized I had some Guinness!