Recipe: Black-eyed bean and lemon hotpot

I found this recipe in the cookbook "Veggiestan" by Sally Butcher. It is not a vegan cookbook but there is plenty in there that is vegan, with a middle eastern flair. Coming from a Greek family, some of the ingredients and recipes looked familiar but for those who have not had much exposure to middle eastern cuisine, this is an excellent book. The author describes and explains what the less common ingredients are,and she does it in a chatty, friendly and sometimes quite humorous way. I have to say that this is the first cookbook I have come across that actually made me want to READ it, and not just skim and concentrate on the recipes that interested me.

The first recipe I decided to try out from this book is a lemony casserole that features black-eyed beans. Sourcing these little beauties will involve a trip to healthfood or organics shops, or you can try Kakulas.
The recipe calls for dill but I have left it out as it does not agree with me. Feel free to add 1 tablespoon if you wish.
I served this dish with steamed rice.

What you will need:
5 sticks celery
3 carrots, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced (optional)
1 and a half tsps dried basil
1 tsp ground turmeric
juice of 1-2 lemons (I used 1 but use 2 if you like things really lemony)
1 cup black-eyed beans (soaked in water for at least 3 hours before hand)
600ml vegetable stock
2 med potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
Cut the celery and carrots into slim strips around 6 cms long. Heat oil in a pot and add carrots, celery and onions. Fry until they begin to soften. Add turmeric, herbs, lemon juice, beans, and stock. Bring to boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and beans are cooked. Season to taste with salt, if you wish, and sprinkle chopped parsley over the top.