Wheat Berry Stew and Popovers

This is a variation of a recipe I found on the internet five years ago. Today is the first time I've ever made it, and wow, is it good. The perfect supper on a rainy day (hooray, more rain) with temps in the low 60s.

Wheat Berry Stew

About four hours before you want the stew, put 1 1/2 cups cannellini beans and 1 cup wheat berries in the crockpot. Cover with plenty of water - I used 6 cups. Add 5 teaspoons cumin, 3 teaspoons tumeric, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Keep on high temp until near the end.

In the meantime, peel and dice 6-8 small potatoes and cook until soft but not mushy. Drain.

Sauté a large chopped onion in olive oil. Turn down the temp and add 4 cloves of minced garlic.

When the beans and berries are softened, put them in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes and the onions and garlic. Then add 5 cups of tomato sauce. Stir well and heat.

Delicious and hearty.



And I served it with one of our favorites, popovers. This is the Joy of Cooking recipe.

Popovers

In the mixer, beat just until smooth:

1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add, one at a time, but do not over beat:

2 eggs

There are many kinds of popover pans but we use 6 glass custard cups with great success. Spray with cooking spray and fill about 3/4 full. If you fill too much, you get a muffin-like texture. Bake in a preheated 450º F oven for 15 minutes. "Without peeping" lower the heat to 350º F and bake about 20 minutes longer. To test for doneness, remove a popover to be sure the side walls are firm. If not cooked long enough, the popovers will collapse.

Serve with butter, and jam if you wish. One of the great, great foods!