Okay. So Provence, France isn’t exactly Oklahoma cooking, but country French cooking is so rustic, filling, hearty, a meal in a soup bowl. It is my kind of non-fussy cooking. And cook in a cast iron Dutch Oven.  Just add some crusty bread with butter and you are good to go.

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 10 small link Sausages of your choice (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Soy, etc)
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed
• 2 medium Carrots, shredded
• 4 ribs Celery, diced
• 1 cup Vegetable Broth
• 4 cups Navy Beans or other White Beans, drained out of the can
• 1 can (15 ozs) diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons Marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh Rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Sage
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

In a large cast iron Dutch Oven, heat the EVOO over medium high heat. Let the cast iron get hot. Brown the sausage all on sides. Be sure they are cooked through and through.  Place them in a dish and set aside. Add onion and garlic to the same Dutch Oven and saute for about 8 minutes. Add carrots, celery and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to get a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes and herbs. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, adding extra water if needed to keep a stew consistency.  Cut sausage links into 1 inch pieces and add to the stew. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Heat throughly but don’t boil before serving. Serve in parsley before serving. 

People have asked me if they can just add everything at once. You can certainly do that but cooking the vegetables in the order listed in the directions will allow the flavors to layer and build on each other.  Sauting the onion and garlic in the EVOO allows the flavors to bloom before you add the broth and the rest of the veggies.