Drunken Cheesy Bread and Vegetable Stew

Drunken Cheesy Bread. Just the name sounds good. We had a vegetable stew so I knew some sort of meat should appear on the table. This was a great side dish. It was just delicious.

Ingredients
butter for the pan
1/2 baguette, cut into 2-inch slices
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/8 pound thinly sliced cooked ham
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyere

Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Place the bread in a buttered ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch square baking dish, or a casserole. Scatter the onion and ham over the bread. Pour the wine over the onion and ham and sprinkle with the pepper and Gruyère. Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown at the edges, about 20 minutes. Spoon onto individual plates.

Vegetable Stew. This was a good stew. The broth was spicy from the cumin and crushed red pepper. The next time I make this I will cut the veggies smaller that what the recipe says.

Ingredients
4 large carrots, diagonally sliced into 2-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained

Directions
Combine all the ingredients except the zucchini and chickpeas in a heavy, covered saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add the zucchini and beans during the last 10 minutes of cooking.