1 large onion
2 carrots
2 ribs celery
2 large potatoes
1-2 c additional veggies, cut into chunks (green beans, parsnip, rutabaga, beets, winter squash)
2 lbs beef stew meat
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme
3 c concentrated beef stock
1 c red wine
3 T brown sugar
1 T worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 c water
4 T flour or cornmeal
1 T tomato paste
Cut up stew veggies into chunks. Mince garlic, sprinkle with a little salt, and mash into a paste with a fork. Throw all the ingredients into a crock pot, except water, flour and tomato paste. Cover and cook on low 8 or more hours. One half hour before serving, blend the flour and tomato paste into the water. Stir into the stew, and let finish cooking.
Gluten restrictions: use Thai Kitchen fish sauce instead of worcestershire sauce, and cornmeal instead of flour to thicken the stew.
