Slow cookery

We bought a Cuisinart slow cooker a few weeks ago with the notion to make soups and stews.  We already eat a lot of soup, but the hands-off aspect of the slow cooker is appealing for days when I don't have time to babysit the stove.   It means that I can cook when it’s convenient, and have dinner ready when I want, no matter what else fills up the day.  In the morning, I just chop some vegetables, toss in liquid and spices, and put the lid on, then come home sometime in the evening to find dinner ready.  No need to worry about burning or boil overs while the pot is untended.

I haven’t made anything outside of the normal repertoire yet, just ratatouille, vegetable soup, and vegetable stew.  Aaron’s made meat stew a few times as well, which he says are super-tender.   It’s taken a bit of experimentation to get the liquid balance right because liquid doesn’t cook off like it does on the stove since the heat is so low.  For example, I made ratatouille the other day using two eggplants, two red peppers, a big red onion, garlic and spices.  I added a slug of red wine, about 1/2 a cup, and a can of tomatoes (not drained), then left it alone for 7 hours.  It tasted terrific, with the vegetables getting very soft but holding their shape, and flavors bright but well melded.  But, it was a little soupy.  Half the juice from the can of tomatoes would have been plenty.  As it was, though, it made a fine meal as a base for poached eggs and topped with parmesan.

On the converse side, Aaron made an absolutely delicious barley soup with chard, fennel and dill (Bon Appetit).  The slow cooking allowed the barley to thicken the soup even more than normal, so it was almost risotto-like in its consistency.  Again, it was a great meal,  not quite what was intended, but a nice outcome all the same.