Recipes

•  1 cup dry small white navy beans
• 1.5 lbs. lamb stew meat, cut up into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 3 leeks, white part and first 2 inches of green, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch sections
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, washed and chopped
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3-4 cups chicken broth
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 small to medium bunch white chard, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, cleaned and chopped
• salt and black pepper to taste

Clean and soak white beans overnight, or at least 8 hours.

Dredge lamb pieces in mixture of flour, salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven, brown lamb meat in oil, until browned on all sides.  Remove from pot and reserve.  Add garlic and leeks with 1-2 tbsp oil and sauté 8-10 minutes until soft and beginning to brown.  Add thyme and heat for 1 minute more.

Rinse and drain beans, add to pot with browned lamb, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and 3 cups of chicken broth. Cover, bring to a near-boil, then simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour - until beans are soft.  Liquid should cover stew during cooking; add more chicken broth if needed.

Remove 1/2 c of white beans from stew.  Puree in blender or processor and set aside.  Add tomato, chard and basil to pot and simmer 10 more minutes.  Add pureed white beans back and warm through.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish with lemon wedge and fresh basil sprig if desired.  Serve with warm, crusty bread for a delicious meal!

4 generous servings