We’re getting down to the dregs in terms of seasonal eating. My last CSA pickup was over a month ago. The green things at my local farmers’ market dwindled down to hearty spinach before drying up completely sometime in the middle of February. And so I have turned my attention to beans and storage vegetables (plus a little store-bought kale–hey, a girl’s gotta get her greens).

White Bean & Winter Vegetable Stew

• 1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 ounce guanciale, cubed
• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 large bulb celeriac, peeled and cubed
• 1 parmesan cheese rind
• 1 Meyer lemon, skin and all, finely chopped
• 1 large bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
• salt and pepper

Add the beans, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, guanciale, herbs and spices to a large Dutch oven along with enough water to cover by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for an hour or more, until the beans are tender. Fish out the celery, carrots and bay leaves. Add the squash, celeriac, cheese rind and lemon, and top with enough water to just cover everything. Bring back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. When the vegetables have softened (about 15 minutes), stir in the kale along with plenty of salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is wilted. 

It’s going to be another long and strenuous workweek. At least I’ve packed my lunch.