Harvest Stew

This stew is rich, hearty and a staple in my house from Samhain, or All Hallows Eve, right through to Ostara, or the Vernal Equinox.

When it's a celebration or company is over I serve it in individual sugar pumpkins from a large roasted pumpkin that I make into a tureen. If it's just us then it's straight from cooking on the stove into our bowls.

Serve it with a nice hearty loaf of homemade bread and you'll feel happy and sated. Leftovers freeze beautifully!

Ingredients:

2 cups of celery tops, chopped, including leaves
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large butternut squash
8 oz package of mushrooms (shitakes give a lovely earthy flavor, but criminis or white will do fine as well), thickly sliced
2 medium organic potatoes, washed, cut into chunks
1 sweet potato, washed, cut into chunks
5 organic carrots, washed, cut into bit-sized pieces
1 lean turkey sausage, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds
16 oz chicken or vegetable broth
8 oz water
1 bayleaf

Directions:

In a large 5 quart pot, saute turkey sausage, onions, garlic and squash for 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook for 5 more minutes.




Add broth, water and celery cooking for 1/2 hour.



Add potatoes and carrots and simmer for 1/2 hour.



Serve with thick sliced grain bread.

NOTE: If you want to serve in pumpkins, then simply clean the pumpkins as you would a jack-o-lantern and roast upside down on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Carefully place large pumpkin on a strong platter and fill with stew. Place pumpkin lid on top and arrange little pumpkins & grain bread for guests around main pumpkin.