Stew Season Starts Now
The first cool Tennessee evening has a funny way of putting the slow cooker back in business, usually with beef, beans, potatoes and enough simmering garlic to make the whole house smell like fall.
Start With the Pot
Soup and stew season does not need much ceremony. A beef and vegetable stew, white chicken chili, smoky pulled pork, sausage-and-bean soup or creamy potato soup can turn a chilly weeknight into something worth lingering over. Chuck roast with onions, carrots, herbs and potatoes might be the simplest argument for letting dinner cook itself all afternoon.
The difference between a decent pot and one people remember usually starts with the ingredients.
In Franklin, 615 Meats offers custom-cut meats, making it a useful first stop when the plan involves a roast, stew meat or something destined to spend several hours getting tender. North of Nashville, G’s Meats in Hendersonville operates as a full-service butcher shop, with steaks cut to order and beef ground fresh daily.
From there, the pantry can do much of the heavy lifting.
Build the Bowl
At Farmers’ Storehouse in Sparta, home cooks can find organic grains, beans, greens, root crops, flours and other farm products that fit naturally into the sort of meals that start with “throw everything in the pot” and somehow end up tasting far more deliberate.
In Bulls Gap, Yoder’s Country Market stocks bulk foods including spices, grains, meats, cheeses, canned goods and baking ingredients. That makes it particularly handy for the cooks who consider a recipe more of a suggestion than a set of instructions.
Then come the details that keep one pot of soup from tasting exactly like the last. Olive Oil Divine in Johnson City carries artisan extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars and seasonings, giving even a simple vegetable soup or roast another layer of flavor. Back in Middle Tennessee, Franklin Spice Works carries hundreds of fresh spices and blends, opening the door to everything from smoky chili to herb-heavy chicken soup.
That is the beauty of stew season. The basic formula rarely changes much: something hearty, something aromatic, a few vegetables and enough time for everybody in the house to start asking when dinner will be ready.
For more Tennessee shops worth raiding when the pantry needs something better than the usual grocery-store suspects, explore the Guide to Tennessee specialty food and drink directory at https://www.guidetotennessee.com/specialty-food-drink-retailers.
