Aprile's Kitchen

Gather around the hearth with this homestyle venison fall stew, where tender chunks of locally sourced venison mingle with garden-fresh root vegetables and fragrant herbs. Perfect for cozy evenings, this rustic dish embodies the spirit of the harvest, bringing warmth and comfort to your homestead table.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs venison, cubed
• 1 small pumpkin
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 5 medium cloves garlic, mined
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350^o
2. Place venison and 1 onion in a dutch oven or similar large pot with a lid, cover with water and simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours. The longer the better to tenderize the meat. I sometime set this on my woodstove and let it cook all day. You could also slow cook this in a crockpot for 12 hours. Keep adding water to keep the meat covered.
3. Slice pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, place on baking sheet with cut side up and bake for 30-40 minutes until very tender. If you have a second dutch oven you can cook it in that in the oven with the lid on and it will become tender faster
4. When pumpkin is finished, scoop flesh into the pot with the venison.
5. Add carrot, celery, mushrooms, garlic, salt, black pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme. Continue to simmer until carrots are tender
6. Add parsley, kale, and brown rice. Simmer until kale is wilted.