- [image]1 pounds ground sirloin ground sirloin - [image]4 Kaiser rolls Kaiser rolls - [image]4 slices smoked Gouda smoked Gouda - [image]1 bottle steak sauce steak sauce - [image]12-ounce sack baby spinach baby spinach And make sure you have the following On Hand: - Bacon - EVOO - Onions - Worcestershire - Hot sauce - Grill seasoning - Balsamic vinegar - Salt and black pepper

Provencal Vegetable Stew I loved and still miss Julia Child. She consumed life as robustly as she did a good, crispy skinned chicken. If I had ever had her over for lunch, I would have made her this simple stew.

4 SERVINGS.

cup cup EVOO EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), 3 to 4 times around the pan (extra-virgin olive oil), 3 to 4 times around the pan

4.

garlic cloves garlic cloves, chopped

1.

bay leaf bay leaf .

pound pound button mushrooms button mushrooms, trimmed and halved

1.

yellow yellow onion onion, chopped

2.

celery ribs celery ribs, chopped

1.

green green or or red bell pepper red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1.

medium to large medium to large eggplant eggplant, cut in 1-inch cubes

Salt and and black pepper black pepper

1.

tablespoon fresh tablespoon fresh thyme leaves thyme leaves, chopped (a few sprigs)

1.

tablespoon fresh tablespoon fresh rosemary rosemary, chopped ( a couple of sprigs) .

cup cup dry white wine dry white wine (eyeball it) (eyeball it)

1.

14-ounce can 14-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes petite-diced tomatoes or tomato sauce or tomato sauce

Crusty bread, such as baguette

Heat the EVOO in a deep skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf, mushrooms, onions, celery, and peppers. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add the eggplant and season everything with salt and pepper and the fresh herbs. Cook for 15 minutes or until the eggplant is tender. Deglaze with the wine and scrape up the vegetable bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the tomatoes or tomato sauce and heat through. Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf. Let the vegetables stand a few minutes, then stir and serve with the warm crusty bread and butter.

EXPRESS LANE SHOPPING LIST.

- [image] pound button mushrooms button mushrooms - [image]1 green or red bell pepper bell pepper - [image]1 medium to large eggplant eggplant - [image]1 bunch fresh thyme thyme - [image]1 bunch fresh rosemary rosemary - [image]1 baguette baguette or other crusty bread or other crusty bread And make sure you have the following On Hand: - EVOO - Garlic - Bay leaf - Onion - Celery - Salt and black pepper - Dry white wine - Canned diced tomatoes

BLT Soup Bacon, Leek, and Tomato Soup is a soup for all seasons! So easy and too delicious; you'll make this one January or August, year after year. It is especially welcome on rainy nights.

4 SERVINGS.

EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) for drizzling (extra-virgin olive oil) for drizzling

6.

slices lean, smoky good quality slices lean, smoky good quality bacon bacon, chopped into -inch pieces

3.

small small celery ribs celery ribs from the heart of the stalk, finely chopped from the heart of the stalk, finely chopped

2.

small to medium small to medium carrots carrots

3.

leeks leeks, rough tops and roots trimmed

1.

bay leaf bay leaf

Salt and and black pepper black pepper

3.