Beef stew may seem like an odd choice for Spring as it's such a hearty comfort dish but that was exactly what I was after last night.  Two of my girls are playing lacrosse (it seems to me pretty much around the clock) and were exhausted.  What better way to recharge the batteries than a hearty stew.

I've been making a great effort of late to slow down and not forget to smell the roses (or daffodils in this case).  It's a wonderful thing to watch the dog play and the flowers bloom and have time to really appreciate it all.

Always ready to play.

First splashes of color in the garden.

Getting ready to bloom.

Beef Stew.

1 lb of best quality stewing beef
2 tablespoons flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sprig of minced rosemary
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3-4 shallots, peeled and left whole
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
3-4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
32 oz of organic beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
A good shake of Worcestershire sauce
1 packet of Baby Bella mushrooms, wiped clean and cut into quarters
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 325F

Pat the meat dry.  Season the flour with salt, pepper and minced rosemary.  Toss the beef in the seasoned flour and set aside.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil.  Brown the meat.  You may have to do this in batches but be patient.  Remove the first batch and cover with foil while you brown the rest.

When all the meat is browned remove it from the pan and cover with foil.  Add the onions, shallots, carrots, celery, garlic and potatoes to the pot.  Saute for about 8-10 minutes until softened.  Add a pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper.

Return the meat to the pan along with any juices and stir to combine.  Pour in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.  Cover, place on a baking sheet and put into the oven.

Cook for approximately 2 hours.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another half hour or so, or until the meat is very tender.  Remove from oven.

Mix together the butter and cornstarch until you have a thick paste.  Add one tablespoon of the stew liquid to the mixture and combine.  Pour the butter/cornstarch mixture into the stew and combine thoroughly.  Heat the stew very gently on the stove top for about 5 minutes to cook the cornstarch  mixture through.  

Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley.