Beef Daube Provençal - a French delight for a rainy day

Ok, I admit, it was very, very tempting to keep all my "Julie and Julia" comments to myself, while watching Rich fidget in the kitchen. A couple of them might have slipped out anyway :)
But who says cooking has to be a serious and somber process! Plus I wasn't the one making dinner :)

It's been a typical wet Pacific Northwest kind of weather weekend, so this French stew-type dish was a perfect fit.

The recipe is really quite simple and economical, and the end result is phenomenal. We used this recipe as a basic guide.
Being a potato-eater, I prefer this served over some rich creamy classic mashed. Not sure how "French" this would be, but like I say, potatoes rule :). My husband, however, is a pasta lover; and since he was in charge tonight, we used wide egg noodles. Regardless, the meal was incredibly flavorful and satisfying. The beef came out tender, vegetables weren't mushy, and fresh herbs with red wine really tied it all nicely together. Try it.

In the voice of Julia Child - "Bon Appetit!"  :)