Fun post from my buddy Peilin Breller, food stylist extraordinaire….I’d never be able to make food look this good. Food styling is truly an art. Enjoy this awesome fall/winter stew. We sure did!
Last December I found myself in the early morning hours at Stehly Farms in heart of Valley Center, San Diego’s gorgeous and quaint farm country.
I went to style a pilot segment for my friend, Judita Wignall, raw food chef & author.
I got a personal tour of the farm by Noel Stehly (a third generation farmer!) and came home with box after box of fresh, organic produce, picked early that morning just for our shoot. Gorgeous chards, kales, lettuces, carrots, onions.
I didn’t want one ounce of it to go to waste, so I found myself cooking a ton of soups and stews that I could freeze and reheat for the months ahead!
On my drive off Stehly Farm, Noel suggested I stop by Bella Vado Farms, run by the da Silva family, which leases land from the Stehly Farm. The da Silva family makes a beautiful and quality line of culinary oils and body care line from the avocados harvested on their farm. I was welcomed warmly into their warehouse and did my one-time Christmas shopping: Avocado Oil for EVERYONE!
If you happen to live in Southern California, look for Stehly Organics at your local farmers market! Stehly has some of the most beautiful and delicious Chard and Pomelos I’ve ever eaten locally!
SOLTICE VEGETABLE STEW
* 1 cup onion, chopped
* 2 cups rainbow carrots, chopped
* 3 cups kale, roughly chopped (I like Lacinato, as it wilts more quickly)
* 3 cups rainbow or plain Swiss chard, roughly chopped (wash well and discard of any tough, reedy ends)
* 2 cups cooked pearl barley (cook according to directions)
* 2 cups baby klondike potato, chopped (give good scrub & leave skins on)
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 20-oz. can organic stewed tomatoes
* 2 Tbs olive oil
* 1 Tbs fresh thyme (strip leaves from tiny stalks)
* 1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
* 1 serrano chile, pan-roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped (for optional heat)
* kosher salt & pepper to taste
Chop onions, potatoes and carrots.
Sauté potatoes and carrots with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook until softened. Set aside in a large pot.
Dice kale and chard into bite-sized pieces.
Add additional tablespoon of olive oil to pan over medium heat and sauté kale for 4-5 minutes.
Transfer to the large pot where you stashed the potatoes.
Hello kale and onions. Hang out with your potato friends for a bit…
Sauté chard and onions for 4-5 minutes.
In the large pot with the kale, onions and potatoes, slowly add stewed tomatoes, pearl barley, chicken stock, thyme, and sage. Add salt and pepper to desired taste.
Increase heat and bring to a boil. Then add the sauteed chard and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Serving suggestion: This stew is beautifully finished with small drizzle of Avocado Oil Crush with Lemon (from Bella Vado Farms – Valley Center, CA)
Then take a step back and see the disaster in your kitchen… 
