There’s hardly a better time to prepare a pot of stew than when bad winter weather is impending. And by the looks of the forecast here in the Northland, there’s no time to waste.

Along with chili, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, just to name a few, there’s hardly a better comfort food for a blizzard than a bowl of beef stew, complete with potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, corn and peas.

Those were my thoughts Monday, when I threw together a Crock-Pot version of beef stew. Actually, I used a small bison roast instead of beef, cut into bite-size pieces, along with all of the aforementioned vegetables, most of which came from my summer garden.

I may have jumped the gun a bit. But heck, you can never be too prepared.

Crock-Pot Beef Stew
2 pounds beef stew meat, (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
6-ounce can tomato paste
32-ounce can beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups baby carrots
4 to 5 small red potatoes,cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cups frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
¼ cup flour
¼ cup water
Combine beef, celery, carrots, red onion, potatoes, salt,  pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and tomato paste in the Crock-Pot. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 to 7 hours.
About 30 minutes before serving, mix the flour and the water together in a small dish and pour into the crockpot. Mix until well combined. This will add a nice thickness to the stew. Next, add in your frozen peas and corn. Continue cooking covered for 30 minutes.