Article Courtesy of  Savannah Morning News

Sitting on the porch on Saturday morning, lamenting the warm weather, I longed for the cold brisk Saturday of the week before.

Don't get me wrong, I love warm weather, but not in January. My rose bush is so confused - I keep cutting the "last rose of the season," then we have a warm spell and another round of blooms appear. It just shouldn't be 80 degrees in January.

My palate is confused, too. I crave certain dishes in the winter and certain dishes in the summer. The problem is, one weekend it is winter and the next weekend it is summer. My summer cravings for fresh tomatoes, summer squash and sweet corn can't be found in January. My winter cravings for stews, hot soups and root vegetables seem strange when I prepare them barefoot and in shorts.

What is a hungry girl to do in this crazy weather?

I was pondering this great mystery as I was deciding what to write about for today. I had it mapped out in my mind, but was fretting over it being temperature inappropriate. Sharing a recipe for a heavy dish in this warm weather is like trying to sell your heavy coat in the summer. But then, a cool breeze picked up briefly and I was reminded the heat is no more than an Indian Summer. It won't last - I don't think - and the brisk cool mornings and evenings will return.

So, we had fried oysters for dinner with fried hoe cakes and I decided to go with the original plan and continue on the theme of last week's article and share some more about the humble beginnings of boiled dinners - more specifically, stews.

Where did it all begin? Archeologists have found evidence that turtle shells and other large mollusks were used to boil foods together long before the invention of pottery. Herodotus, the Greek philosopher, tells of a tribe from the eighth through fourth centuries that "put the flesh in the animals' paunch mixed with water and boil it" over a fire made with the bones of the animal. (When I read something like this, I am so thankful that I am a 21st-century cook!)

Our nation's early settler's stews were comprised of whatever food they could grow, forage, hunt or trap. Since many of them owned only one pot, the available foods would be combined with water from the streams and rivers, and cooked over a campfire or hearth.

Fast forward to the 1900s, and you read of the Depression-era homeless living near railroads in "jungles" preparing a "Community Stew" - or Hobo Stew. A large pot was placed over a fire built in the middle of the camp. Each person would contribute some of their food to the pot, the result being a much hardier meal than one could have enjoyed with their small portions.

The stew had very humble beginnings, but eventually worked its way up the social ladder. Some examples of "high class" stews include Beef Bourguignon and Coq a vin.

A whole industry has been built around the process of stewing. The pressure cooker was used to speed up the process, and a slow cooker was invented to slow it back down. Speaking of coming a long way - a tortoise shell to a crock pot is definitely a long way.

Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie's Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler. Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.

HEARTY CHICKEN STEW

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 stalks celery, diced

1 carrot, cut into bite size pieces

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes (not drained)

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs of fresh time

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 chicken breast or 4 thighs - salted and peppered

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans or whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot and onion and saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, herbs, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add chicken. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, stirring occasionally - about 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Remove the bay leaf. Add the beans or corn to the pot and simmer about 10 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the stew. Bring to a gentle boil. Taste for seasoning. Serve in bowls over potatoes or rice or just with a piece of bread.

Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie's Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler. Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.