Oven Stew

Spread evenly over bottom of roasting pan 1½ lbs. stew meat, cubed.  Add 1 large onion, carrots, celery and potatoes, cut in chunks.  Mix together 2 t. salt, 1 T. sugar and 2 T. tapioca.  Sprinkle over above.  Drizzle not quite 1 quart of tomato juice over all.  Cover and bake 5 hours at 250°.  (Can be started at 350° then reduced after ½ hour to 250° for 3½ hours).

NOTE:  This recipe came from the Bountiful Harvest book.  I like a lot of vegetables in my stew, so when I make it I use 2 cans each beans, peas, carrots and corn.  I dump entire can of vegetables and water over the meat, onion and potatoes.  I then use tomato soup or tomato sauce (I don’t always have tomato juice) mixed with the tapioca in a blender so it doesn’t clump.