Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Beef and Barley Stew                       Nancy Harrison

Ingredients:

Beef Stew Meat

Celery

Carrots

Onion

Potatoes

Canned Tomatoes

Pearl Barley

Salt & Pepper

Chopped fresh garlic

Bay Leaf

Whole Cloves

Directions:

Brown stew meat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot, stirring until there is no pink showing; add chopped onion and garlic and cook until translucent; add canned tomatoes and enough water to nearly fill the pot.  Heat until gently boiling; add pearl barley, spices and 5-8 whole cloves; cover and allow to simmer for an hour or more.  About 30-40 minutes before serving, add the other chopped vegetables and cook until barely tender.

Great served with crusty bread or corn muffins.

Note: I didn’t give quantities as the amount of meat and vegetables will vary according to how many servings you want to make.  If you add more canned tomatoes, the stew will be more tomatoey and if you add more water, it will be thinner, etc.