months.

Even though the unseasonably warm weather Bermuda is currently experiencing may not warrant it, stew is a wonderful way to warm the body on a damp evening.

And it is also an easy way to incorporate nutritious vegetables into your diet.

Here are a few tasty stew recipes you can enjoy on a cold evening -- if we ever get one! *** FISH STEW 4 pounds thick rockfish 3 Bermuda onions, sliced 2 slices bacon, chopped 6 cups water 1 cup carrots, diced 1 cup turnip, diced 1 pawpaw (green) sliced and par-boiled 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1 sprig of thyme or 1 teaspoon powdered thyme 5 large potatoes, diced 1 tin tomato paste 4 tablespoons butter Salt to taste REMOVE skin and bones from fish. Flour flesh with salt and pepper. Brown in a pan with hot fat. Remove fish and brown onions in the fat, also the diced bacon. Put fish, onions and bacon in a pot. Add water and bring to a boil.

Then add vegetables and thyme.

Cook until fish and vegetables are tender. When cooked, add tomato paste and butter and salt to taste. The tomato can be left out if desired. This is usually served with rice.

This dish is enhanced by thickening the stock with flour and serving it as a gravy.

The pawpaw needs to be par-boiled because it takes longer to cook than the 15 minutes for the fish and vegetables.

*** CONCH STEW 2 medium-sized conch shells 1 pound salt pork 1 large Bermuda onion, chopped 1 cup water 2 large Bermuda onions 2 large carrots 2 large potatoes Small piece of fresh thyme Sprig of parsley 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 teaspoon pepper 1 cup black rum or sherry STAND conch shells in an inch of boiling water until the meat leaves the shells. Use only the white meat; cut it in cubes. Cut salt pork in cubes and place in pressure cooker. Add chopped onion and fry until golden. Then add conch meat. Cover with 1 cup water and cook under pressure for 30 minutes.

Reduce pressure.

Remove cover and add vegetables cut in cubes, thyme and parsley. Cover with water and cook under pressure for another 5 minutes. Reduce pressure.

Remove cover and thicken gravy with flour. Remove thyme and parsley. Add remaining ingredients. Serve hot with boiled rice.

*** PUMPKIN STEW Simmer a 4-5 pound corned brisket of beef until tender, about 4 hours. Flavour the water in which the meat is cooking with onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, pepper-corns, etc.

About 45 minutes before the meat is done, remove fat from surface of meat stock. Add about 6 pared, medium potatoes. About 15 minutes later add peeled, cut-up pumpkin.

Continue cooking until potatoes and pumpkin are just tender. Remove corned beef and slice. Serve on a platter with the vegetables. Pour gravy made by thickening some of the stock with flour.

This dish may be curried by adding curry powder to taste.

Recipes from What's Cooking in Bermuda.

*** BEEF STEW 2 pounds chunk, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 cup shortening 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon Season-all 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon marjoram leaves 1 teaspoon tarragon leaves 1 teaspoon parsley flakes 2 teaspoons beef flavour base 2 cups water 4 carrots 4 potatoes 4 small onions 1 cup flour BROWN meat in hot shortening. Add seasonings and water. Cover and simmer 11 hours or until meat is almost tender. Peel carrots and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Peel and quarter potatoes. Peel onions. Add vegetables to stew and continue cooking 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Make a thin, smooth paste by mixing together the flour and an equal amount of water; stir into stew and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Serves 4 to 6. Recipe from Spices of the World Cookbook.

*** HEARTY BEAN AND PASTA STEW 4 servings (about 1 cup each) 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped (1 cup) 1 small onion, chopped (1 cup) 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 3 cup uncooked pasta shells 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 can (15 to 16 ounces) kidney beans, drained 1 can (8 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained 1 can (14 1 ounces) fat-free chicken broth or vegetable broth MIX all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.

*** VEAL STEW GREMOLATA 4 Servings (about 11 cups each) Gremolata is an Italian garnish -- or seasoning -- made from parsley, lemon peel and garlic. Serve this dish with crusty bread.

1 pound lean veal shoulder 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 3 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup finely chopped carrot 1 cup finely chopped celery 1 clove garlic, rushed 1 cup dry red wine or beef broth 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1 teaspoon salt 1 large bell pepper, cut into wedges 8 ounces mushrooms, cut in half 1 can (15 ounces) tomato puree Gremolata (below) TRIM fat from veal. Cut veal into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook veal, onion, carrot, celery and garlic in oil 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until veal is brown.

Stir in remaining ingredients except Gremolata. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally until veal is tender. Stir in Gremolata just before serving.

GREMOLATA: 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic *** MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH DRIED FRUITS 6 Servings (1 cup stew and 1 cup couscous each) 1 pound lamb boneless shoulder 11 cups fat-free chicken broth 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 cup dry red wine or fat-free chicken broth 1 cup dried apricots 1 cup pitted prunes 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon paprika 1 can (16 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained 1 cup chopped fresh parsley 3 cups hot cooked couscous TRIM fat from lamb. Cut lamb into cubes. Spray Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook lamb in Dutch oven, stirring frequency, until brown. Remove lamb from Dutch oven.

Add 1 cup of the broth to Dutch oven; heat to boiling. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in the lamb, remaining 1 cup broth, the wine, apricots, prunes, raisins, paprika and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.

Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve over couscous.

Recipes from Betty Crocker's New Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook.