Summer Vegetable Stew with Cilantro-Spinach Pistou

June has been the month of visitors and bucketlist-checking! My mom and cousin each spent a week in Seattle, allowing me to focus on the most wonderful aspects of our fair city and to indulge in a little bit of (classy) tourism along the way.

Climbing Mount St. Helen’s was incredible - it was tough climbing thanks to many feet of snow, but you can climb right up to the crater’s edge. We lucked into a crisp, clear day that gave magnificent views from Mount Rainier all the way down to the Sisters! As the climb became more and more steep, I became more and more terrified to glissade down. Little did I know that it would be the highlight of the trip! Want to know what it was like? Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFviGEQfCV4

Some other smart climber made the sign, but I begged for a photo-op!

Solstice Parade with naked bike riders, a brewers’ festival, and our own (clothed) bike tour of Seattle rounded out Anna’s visit. However, once she left, I found myself loaded up with some neglected veggies that were kindly waiting for a loving home.

Solution: stew. I had to make several changes to the original recipe based on what I had lying around. Turned out delicious, but I think it could benefit from a few more herbs somewhere in the mix.

Summer Vegetable Stew with Cilantro-Spinach Pistou
Adapted from MyRecipes

Ingredients
Pistou

• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• ½ cup spinach leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Vegetables:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3 (2-inch-thick) sliced carrots
• 1 pound small potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cubed yellow squash
• 2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 3 roma tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
To prepare pistou, combine cilantro, spinach and 1 garlic clove in a blender; process until smooth. Add water, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; process until blended. Set aside.

To prepare vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over low heat. Add bay leaves; cook 1 minute. Add onion, 6 garlic cloves, and thyme; cover and cook 10 minutes. Add carrot, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper; cover and cook 20 minutes. Add squash, broccoli, and beans; cover and cook 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes; cover and cook 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Spoon stew into individual bowls; drizzle with the pistou, and sprinkle with Parmesan.