Winter stew with green lentils

Another wintry week at the farm, calls for another hearty vegetable stew. This time with green lentils.

Serve this with mashed potato or turnip top champ. It would be lovely with sausages too! Or thick slices of fresh bread with butter.

We had ours with roast potatoes and homemade garlic mayo after a very crisp, sunny and tiring morning shoveling, mulching and moving around landscaping fabric.

Serves 4

4 small red onions
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1kg veg, peeled and chopped into large chunks - I use a mix of carrots, turnips and golden beetroot
400ml vegetable stock
100ml red wine
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato puree
250g green lentils, cooked and drained

1) Peel your onions. If you only have large onions, peel and cut into wedges - otherwise chop them in half. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Put the garlic and onion into a large casserole dish over a medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper.

2) Peel and chop your carrots, turnips and golden beetroot (you could use parsnips, potatoes or squash).

3) Once the onions are starting to brown a little, add the vegetables to the pan.

4) Then add the stock, wine, rosemary, soy sauce, bay leaf and tomato puree. Bring up to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes - or until the vegetables are just about soft.

5) Add the lentils, stir and bring back up to temperature. Test for seasoning. Add more Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper if needed.

6) Serve with mashed potato or champ.