Sunday

Hearts of palm, cornishons, and radishes

Cassoulet-style chicken thighs (recipe in the comments)
Broiled tomatoes

Hot tea
Peppermint bark over peppermint ice cream
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M loves cassoulet (traditionally a French stew of beans and a variety of meats, including duck and smoked game), but the complexity of the normal recipe makes it an unlikely at-home meal. This version keeps it simple, maintaining the flavors and heartiness of the traditional dish. Not incidentally, this version is also considerably lighter than one you would find in a restaurant. The one consideration with any cassoulet is that it turns out to be a very brown stew. The parsley garnish is, therefore, critical to make it appetizing and a colorful side can really help too. Broiled tomatoes or sauteed tomatoes are what we usually choose, but a colorful salad or grilled red and yellow peppers would be good choices as well.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, garlic, chicken, kielbasa, parsley, hearts of palm, radishes, tomatoes (halved)
Time: 1 hour for the whole meal
Make ahead: The cassoulet can be made ahead, but the tomatoes are best broiled fresh.

Reaction
J: "This combination of flavors is syzygy!"
M: "French comfort in a jiffy."
L: "It was so good, I liked it so much that I don't have room for dessert."