Crockpot Cooking: Camp Stew

I got this recipe from a salesman who frequents history reenactments, and while the smell of a real wood fire and dishing a bit of this up out of a cast iron cooking pot do add to it's appeal, it still tastes quite good when cooked on your stove, or in your crock pot. I'll give you the quatities for a regular sized batch.

Camp Stew

1 smoked sausage or kielbasa                4-5 potatoes

2 carrots                                                 1 small onion

1 can diced tomatoes                             2 ears of corn (or 1c. frozen)

1/2 head of cabbage                              Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning

cornstarch (optional)

Clean and chop your onions, carrots and potatoes. I only peel the potatoes if they are russets.

Cut corn from the cob. I cut my sausage in half rounds to make it easier to eat, but that's optional.

Place all of this, along with the tomatoes and 2tsp. seasoning in your crock pot and cover with water.

Cook all day.

If you're doing this on the stove it will cook in about 30-40min - just 'til the carrots and potatoes are tender.

A few minutes before serving, turn off the heat, chop your cabbage and add to the pot, stirring to mix it in.

As you can see, I had to transfer mine to a large stock pot because of the quantity I was making, but if you're making a standard sized recipe this can all be done in the crock pot. Taste, and add more seasoning if necessary.

That's all there is too it - or to the original recipe anyway.

We prefer to thicken it with some cornstarch, but that is entirely up to you. If you do, mix your cornstarch  with a little cold water and stir it into the stew before turning off the heat. Allow it to heat through for a few minutes, then turn it off and add the cabbage.

This is currently the only way I eat cooked cabbage because, in reality, the cabbage isn't cooked, it's just kind of heated up. That way you don't have slimy, yucky cabbage in your soup.