Since my husband has been ill and couldn’t hunt we have been missing our meals of venison. Fortunately, a couple of our good friends gave us 2 deer that had already been processed! Yes! Venison is a very healthy red meat and we like it better than beef. This stew is wonderful on a cold winter day like we have today. It is 26 degrees today and this will be our dinner.

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds Venison, in 1/2″ cubes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 3 Carrots, medium dice
• 2 ribs Celery, diced
• 2 Leeks with 3 inches of green, sliced
• 1 medium Sweet Onion, chopped
• 4 Shallots, sliced
• 2 large cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed
• 3 sprigs fresh Thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 cup fresh Basil, torn or 1/2 teaspoon dried (I used my dried Thai Basil)
• 1 cup Lentils, rinsed (I used dark green French Lentils but you can use any color of lentil)
• 1/2 cup Pearled Barley
• 8 cups strong Vegetable Broth (Homemade is best)
• 1 can (15 ozs) Stewed Tomatoes or 2 cups fresh diced
• 8 ozs fresh Mushrooms of your choice, sliced
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meat in batches and set aside. Saute carrots, leeks, celery, onion, shallots and garlic in the same skillet. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in the thyme. If you are using dried basil add that also.  Place the meat and sautéed vegetables in a large soup pot. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth. Add the rinsed lentils and barley. Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes stirring often. Add tomatoes, mushrooms and salt and pepper. If you are using fresh basil add it now. Simmer for 10 minutes. If the stew is a dry add a bit more of vegetable broth or water. Goes great with crusty bread.