Featured Meal:
Beef Stew With Herbed Dumplings & Strawberry Strawberry Cheesecake



BEEF STEW WITH HERBED DUMPLINGS

For stew:

4 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped
3 cups finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 1/2 cups canned beef broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added purée

6 medium carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3 medium rutabagas, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

For dumplings:

2/3 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Make stew:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Pat beef dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook beef until brown, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits, about 8 minutes. Transfer meat to bowl.

Add bacon to same pot. Sauté until crisp, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return beef and any accumulated juices to pot. Add 5 cups canned beef broth and crushed tomatoes with purée. Cover and bring to simmer.

Transfer pot to oven. Bake until beef is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add carrots and rutabagas. Cover; bake until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until beef is very tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare dumplings:

Whisk milk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Stir in chives and parsley. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Add milk mixture. Stir just until blended.

Whisk remaining 1/2 cup canned beef broth and cornstarch in small bowl to blend. Bring stew to simmer over medium heat. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into stew. Return stew to simmer, stirring until sauce thickens.

Spoon dumpling batter in 12 dollops atop simmering stew. Cover tightly; simmer until dumplings are puffed and tester inserted into center of dumplings comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Serve stew with dumplings.

Serves 6.



STRAWBERRY-STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Crust:

1 10-ounce package shortbread cookies (such as Lorna Doone)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

10 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries (about 2 3/4 cups), thawed, juices reserved
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:

1/3 cup strawberry or currant jelly
3 1-pint baskets fresh strawberries, hulled, halved lengthwise

For crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Grind cookies in processor to coarse crumbs. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture over bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust until just golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:

Puree thawed strawberries and juices in processor until smooth. Measure 3/4 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use); do not wash bowl. Add cream cheese and sugar to processor. Blend until smooth. Using on/off turns, blend in flour. Add eggs; process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add 3/4 cup strawberry puree, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract; process until well blended. Transfer filling to prepared crust.

Bake cake until center is softly set and edges begin to color, puff and crack, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Place hot cheesecake on rack. Refrigerate uncovered on rack until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

For topping:

Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake; remove pan sides. Stir jelly in heavy saucepan over low heat until melted. Arrange berry halves atop cheesecake in concentric circles; brush with warm jelly to glaze. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Makes 12 servings.