WINTER PORK STEW (FUSION)

Faced with an assortment of leftovers tonight and heading out on the road, it made sense to create something to clean out the fridge. A bit of fusion here, a touch of Italy, a bit of France, a whiff of Kentucky, and country-style in each case.

I started by slicing one Italian sausage into rounds and browning them in their own fat in the bottom of an iron skillet. Poured off the excess fat, then added a leftover chunk of pork loin (about 6 ounces, prepared charcuterie style the other night) cut into one-inch cubes. Stir to brown, then add one cup homemade tomato sauce (although canned would do); one small onion, sliced thin; two carrots, peeled and sliced thin; one green pepper, diced; one potato, peeled and cut into large cubes, and one small turnip, peeled and cut into small cubes. Salt and pepper to taste and a dash of fresh oregano; and a bit of water because it all looked too thick. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are all done, stirring occasionally.

All the root vegetables gave it a real wintry quality and stretched the relatively small amount of meat enough to feed two hungry adults and leave plenty of -- you guessed it -- leftovers. A hearty Languedoc red wine went very nicely with it indeed.