Soups and stews in the crockpot are always welcome, folks! I've made
Sherry's Autumn Harvest Stew a number of times (in the crockpot even though
the recipe doesn't say so) and we always love it. I know someone will ask
for it, so here goes:
Sherry's Autumn Harvest Stew
Makes 8-10 servings?good for potlucks (my notes follow)
2 cups onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. sauteing liquid
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup garlic, minced, or to taste
1 Tbsp. molasses
28-oz. can diced tomatoes
16-oz. can mashed pumpkin
3 cups any kind of canned beans
1 cup water
1 cup sweet potato, chopped
1 cup white hominy WITH its liquid
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
chili powder to taste: 2 tsp. to 1 1/2 Tbsp.
1 tsp. crushed chiles (optional)
1/4 tsp. fenugreek
1/4 tsp. coriander
1-2 tsp. ginger powder
1/8 tsp. asafoetida powder (optional)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1. In a large pot, saute onions in liquid until softened.
2. Add remaining ingredients except lemon juice and cook.
3. Add lemon juice. Continue to cook until thick and sweet potato pieces
are soft. It makes a soupy stew (or a very thick soup).
4. Serve in bowls, with crusty bread on the side.
Notes: I use 2 tsp. of chili powder, since we don?t like eating fire. You
can get fenugreek at a health food store or a South Asian grocery, if not
available in your local supermarket. The asafoetida helps reduce the gas in
the beans. That is also available in Indian or Pakistani grocery stores.
The spices don?t sound like much, but they add to the complexity of flavor
in the dish. This is a delicious stew/soup. I generally make this in a
crockpot, leaving it on all day or even overnight. Once I plugged it in in
the evening and we didn?t eat it till the next day at noon, at a potluck.
The stew didn?t care; it was fine.
Happy autumn, all! It is the most incredibly beautiful weather here. What
a blessing!
Ruth