Catching Up: Slow-Cooker Navy Bean Stew II

Dinner, originally uploaded by essgee51.

Though we made this last weekend, the rest of this rich, savory stew also served well as soft food for this weekend's recuperation from dental surgery. Based on this variant, but still further simplified - we discovered that we could skip even the fast boil of the beans if we cooked on high for a few hours.

• 1 lb. navy beans
• 1 ham hock, scored
• 1 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut in 1 in. pieces
• 1-2 c carrots, cut in 1-2 in. pieces
• 1-2 c celery, cut in 1 in. slices
• 8 oz. mushrooms, stems removed and cut, if large
• 1 onion, sliced
• 5-8 cloves garlic, smashed
• bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)
• 6 c liquid (all water, this time)
• salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in the slow cooker (see below).

Cook on high for 3-4 hours, till hock meat is falling off the bone and beans are tender. Adjust seasoning and enjoy.