This tasty stew is topped with fluffy homemade cornmeal dumplings.

Ingredients:

• 1 stewing or frying hen, cut up
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 to 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cups diced potato
• 1/2 cup frozen baby lima beans
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 can (14.5 ounces tomatoes, slightly drained
• 3 tablespoons flour
• cold water
• .
• Cornmeal Dumplings
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal, white
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 scant teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 3/4 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
• fresh chopped parsley, optional

Preparation:

Place the chicken in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; add chicken broth. Add enough water to cover, along with the thyme, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a bowl to cool slightly and strain the broth and reserve 5 cups. Remove chicken from bones and dice.

Meanwhile, in the same saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the 5 cups of reserved strained broth to a boil; reduce heat to medium low. Add carrots, lima beans, potato, onion, and celery; cook for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add the diced chicken, corn, parsley, and tomatoes and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, prepare dumplings. Combine 1 cup flour with the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter by hand or pulse in a food processor. Add milk to make a thick batter.

In a cup, combine 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold water; stir until smooth. Add to the simmering broth and stir well. With a tablespoon, drop dumpling dough onto simmering stew. Cook for 10 minutes; stir carefully from time to time to keep the stew from sticking. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until dumplings are cooked through, again stirring carefully to prevent scorching.
If desired, sprinkle dumplings with fresh chopped parsley before serving.
Serves 4 to 6.