Vegetable Stew

Kates, I know you are wondering about the stew I made before. It's not a Czech recipe, just something I made up. If you'd like a Czech recipe I can get Libor on here to post something. Czech soups tend to be very simple and light, as they are served before the main meal. This recipe is meant to be used as a meal in itself.

It's basically along the lines of this for ingredients - any vegetables you like. The first three ingredients, written in italics, are highly recommended, but everything else is based on personal preference and availability in the store. The following recipe is what I prefer...

Prep time: 15-20 min (faster with a helper)
Cook time: approx. 20 min

Ingredients
olive oil, abt 1 tbs
1 onion, thinly sliced
garlic cloves (at least 1 per serving), minced
potatoes, peeled and diced (1 1/2 handfuls)
zucchini, sliced and cut into quarters (1 1/2 handfuls)
carrots, peeled and sliced and cut into halves (about 1 handful)
oyster mushrooms (not champion), torn apart following the gills then cut into 1 1/2 inch slices (about 1 1/2 handfuls)
tomatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 handfuls). Divide pile in half.
parsley or basil or whatever herbs, in olive oil cubes (like buillion cubes), or use fresh/dried
whatever dried herbs that strike your fancy. I used marjoram and thyme
salt
pepper
pasta - 1 serving each person (this is optional - used it as a "filler")

Procedure
1. Pour olive oil in a line around the pot you are using for the soup (the bigger the better), this should be about 1 tbs (thanks Rachel Ray! ;-)). Heat oil over medium heat until the oil is hot enough it coats the pot easily and smokes slightly. Add the onion and cook until the onion becomes aromatic and slightly soft... approx. 2-4 min.

2. Add half the minced garlic, stir 30 seconds for the smell of garlic to be released. Don't let it burn.

3. Gradually add the vegetables. Rule of thumb: root vegetables first because they take longer to cook. In this recipe I added the potatoes and carrots, got them coated with the oil and minced garlic floating around the bottom of the pan. This will add some flavor directly to the potatoes which are normally bland. Add the mushrooms, then add the herbs and stir constantly, checking the smells to make sure nothing is being burnt. When the mushrooms are a little soft and a darker shade, add just a LITTLE bit of water to coat the bottom of the pot, because then the water will become thick (a form of flourless roux, Kate style). The water will also help speed up the cooking time of the root vegetables.

4. Add the herbs and spices. Add the zucchini, and half the tomatoes. With the water in the pot, the tomatoes should distintegrate, adding more juice at the bottom.

6. Add approx. 1 liter of water. Stir, and add spices/herbs to taste. Make sure not to add too many of the dried herbs because the flavor will come out later as they rehydrate. Don't add more herbs later because they need time to rehydrate and it's not pleasant to pick dried herbs from between your teeth.

7. Bring soup to boil, then add the pasta (if you plan to use pasta). This will infuse the pasta with the flavor from the soup, cook the soup longer, and save you more pots and pans to wash later. Watch the soup, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent boiling over.

If you are not adding the pasta, bring the soup to a boil and then bring down to a simmer and cover for about 10 more minutes.

8. Stir and taste periodically, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Add the remaining tomatoes and garlic about 2 minutes before the pasta is done. Pasta should be al dente (a little crunchy).

Enjoy. If you don't use pasta, eat the soup with thick slices of whole wheat bread. :-)

I am always changing recipes every time I cook based on what flavor I want, so please trust your instincts and see where they take you.

p.s. Garlic is great for your immune system, so if you are sick and need an extra boost, add raw minced garlic to the soup when serving. I would add maybe half of a regular sized clove because it can be hot and uncomfortable if you aren't used to it.