Old Fashioned Creamed Vegetables

This time of year always reminds me of my grandma and her garden. As a kid growing up in northern Minnesota, I remember that it always seemed to frost or snow several times before November, which meant October was time to harvest. We would spend hours if not days in the garden gathering all the vegetables still in the ground. Pounds and pounds of potatoes, corn, carrots, and green beans. At the end of a laborious day, we'd have a feast intending to eat as much as possible before we froze, canned, or stored the rest to eat later in the winter. The meal was simple, but the best I can imagine still. Corn on the cob, burgers from the grill, and a giant pot of creamed vegetables. This dish not a low fat meal, but in the autumn when I miss the chill of the Minnesota air, I crave food that's hearty and rich like these creamed vegetables.

INSTRUCTIONS

creamedvegetables

 

3 cups water

1 1/2 cup potatoes, roughly chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup carrots, roughly chopped into  1" pieces

1/2 cup green beans, roughly chopped into 1" pieces

 1/2 cup peas

1/4 of an onion roughly chopped

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

 

Want to make this gluten-free and dairy-free? Omit the flour. Sauté the onions in coconut oil. Then, add 1 cup coconut cream and reserved water to the onions. Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add this mix to the coconut cream and onions and stir. Cook and stir for two minutes until it's thickened.

Make ahead option– This hearty dish can be cooked and stored for up to five days in a sealed container in the fridge.

The Simple Steps...

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot.

2. Add the potatoes, carrots, green beans, and peas. Boil on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

3. While that's cooking, sauté the onion in the butter in another pan. It's ready when it's slightly translucent.

4. Stir the flour into the sautéed onions and cook for one minute.

5. Gently mix the cream in with the onions.

6. Strain the cooked vegetables, but keep 1 cup of the liquid. (It still has some flavor and starch.) Stir that last bit of liquid into the cream sauce. Return the vegetables to the pot.

7. Add the salt and pepper to the cream sauce and taste. 

8. Pour the cream sauce over the vegetables and gently mix to coat them. Enjoy!