Sweet potato, kale and quinoa stew

In music, variations on a theme is called genius.  In art, being part of a series can elevate an ordinary work to the sublime.  In food, repetition is usually considered boring.  I, however, have lately found myself drawn to the same ingredients over and over.  My current muses?  Sweet potato, kale, and quinoa.  Maybe it's the season, or maybe just the mood my tastebuds are in, but I seem to cook with this triumvirate frequently. 

I started with another trinity: onions, bell pepper, and celery.  To that base I added some tomatoes, water, and cooked the sweet potato and quinoa together.  As the quinoa cooks, it absorbs the liquid and flavor, and you're left with a thick, rich stew to warm the belly.  I love my legumes, so I needed some chickpeas.  Voila: a quick, easy, and flavorful dish that will set the tastebuds singing.

1 small onion, chopped

1/3 green bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 can chopped tomatoes

1 small sweet potato, cut into chunks (approx. 1 C.)

1/4 C. quinoa

2 C. water

1/2 C. chickpeas

1 C. chopped kale

pinch salt and pepper

Saute onion, bell pepper, and celery until soft.  Add tomatoes and water and bring to the boil.  Add sweet potato and quinoa, and cook until sweet potato is soft and quinoa is cooked.  Stir in kale leaves and cook until bright green. 

Serves 1

Autumn vegetable ragout

The name of this dish is, as always, primarily descriptive, but also gives it that little bit of French flavor I get when I think of eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, leeks, garlic.  The basis for this dish were the two eggplant that came in this week's vegetable box.  I started out thinking I would make a ratatouille, but neither the vegetable box nor the local grocery store provided the necessary zucchini or any fresh herbs, so I made a slight change of course and opted for a heartier stew with sweet potatoes and cannellini beans as the base.  Haricot or flageolet beans would be a bit more authentic, I suppose, but also a bit too petit for this dish.  

I finished it off with a little bit of sherry vinegar to give it some zip.  I love using vinegar to lift a dish.  Like a spritz of lemon or lime, it can transform a dish from ok to oh boy.  But proceed with caution: I nearly killed myself and certainly killed dinner by over-dosing on vinegar for a cabbage soup.  Go slowly and see how the flavors develop after a few minutes.  Additionally, a few small capers could also add some pizzazz.  

I did not have any fresh basil, but I had my mother's home-grown and hand-dried basil.  This is a great trick for using up extra basil: when your plant really goes to town and you just can't face any more pesto.  You simple wash and dry the leaves, then place them on in a single layer a paper town and microwave in 30 second bursts, checking after each one.  Herbs are dry when they can be crumbled easily in your fingers.  

1 leek, washed thoroughly, halved and cut into 2 inch segments, white and green parts

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 medium eggplant (approx. 2 C.), cut into 1 inch cubes

1 carrot, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 C. vegetable stock (or more if needed)

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. sherry vinegar

1 T. small capers (optional)

Saute leeks, carrots, and bell pepper in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.  Add tomatoes and vegetable stock, then sweet potatoes and eggplant.  Stir in basil.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes and eggplant are soft.  Stir in vinegar and capers if using, cook for another minute, then taste and adjust seasonings. 

Serves 2-3

Provencal sweet potato and chickpea stew

I love Autumn with its crisp weather, falling leaves, and vague frisson of back-to-school excitement even for those of us truly past school days (but once a dork, always a dork).  But what I love most about it is the seasonal foods.  It is true that nothing can beat a sun-fragranced tomato or a mid-summer corn cob, but in consolation for taking away daylight and warmth in the fall, nature kindly gives us butternut squash, kale, brussels sprouts (yes!  If you hate them, you just haven't had them cooked properly), apples, cauliflower, and -- my favorite -- sweet potatoes.  And this week, my vegetable box delivered them.

I had chickpeas in the cupboard so immediately thought of a Moroccan tagine with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and the warm, heady spices of the region.  But then I found a poor fennel bulb hiding in the fridge and my tastebuds leaped north across the Mediterranean to the south of France.  I wouldn't dare call my dish a Bouillabaisse, but the base is similar.  Full disclosure: the lovely container is one I use frequently to carry my lunch.  Made by Rubbermaid, it doesn't pick up food stains and is fairly leakproof when sealed properly.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 medium fennel bulb, finely sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

4 C. chicken or vegetable stock

2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 1 C.)

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 can chickpeas

good pinch saffron

salt and pepper to taste.

Saute the onion, carrot, and fennel until soft.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until softened.

Add stock, tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, and saffron, bring to the boil, and then simmer until potatoes are soft.  Season well.

Serves 2-3