Kinda, Sorta Cassoulet

I hope my French readers (if there are any) will forgive me for this less-than-traditional bean stew that I'm daring to call cassoulet; I'm inclined to go with what I have at home rather than make another market run for ingredients.

I did a riff on this recipe. Mine does have beans and three kinds of meats, so it qualifies in a way. I subbed Navy beans rather than Great Northern and cooked them in chicken stock rather than beef. I cut up leftover lamb roast, chicken apple sausage and the last four of the Reverend Dr. Biggles' smoked pork ribs, and even buried the bones in the casserole to lend their flavor to the dish. Peeled, chopped tomatoes went in and, as I didn't have any cloves on hand, I substituted a little allspice. Other than that, I followed the recipe. I know, I know, not very faithful to the original but, man, was it ever good!

The lamb added richness to the sausage and the pork and bones gave it all just a hint of the smoke Biggles so lovingly added. Even the beans were tasty, not just there to add bulk. I served it with a crisp green salad and French bread to soak up the scary-delicious juices.

Best of all, it made enough for two or three days so I can kick back, pour myself a soda and read trashy novels for the next two days.