Caribbean Stew

Years ago two very good friends of mine went Vegan. Veganism is now not only a way of life for them it is also their life’s work. One year one of them hand made recipe books for a small group of friends that contained all Vegan recipes. This particular recipe was apparently a modification of a recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook. Looking through that cookbook I think it is a modification of the “Gypsy Soup” recipe.

I’ve modified the modified recipe to the point where it is a rather different thing from the original Moosewood recipe and a bit different from my friend’s modification as well, but I feel it’s necessary to mention these things if only to point out how modifying existing recipes can inspire creativity and new dishes.

One quick note about the stew: do not skip adding the lime juice. The stew is merely mediocre without it. If you don’t think it matters, taste the stew before adding the lime juice and then taste it again after adding it. You’ll notice a huge difference. The stew becomes sweet and the flavors become very round. This is an addictive dish. I also think it is a fantastic way to get some kale into your diet.

2 tblsps olive oil
1 medium to large sweet onion diced
1 tblsp Allspice
1 large, or two small sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into soup-spoon sized chunks
1 jalapeno pepper finely diced (I remove the seeds and ribs so the stew is mild, but for more heat you could leave them in)
4 cups of curly kale chopped up*
4 cups of water
1 box of Pomi brand chopped tomatoes (or a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, or approximately 1 ½ cups of fresh tomatoes peeled and diced with their juice)
1 large or 2 small, zucchini squash cut into soup-spoon sized chunks
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 lime – juiced (about 2 tablespoons, but you can add to taste)
¼ cup of fresh cilantro roughly chopped

In a large soup or stock pot sauté the sweet onion in the olive oil over medium heat until they are soft. Add in the finely diced jalapeno and sauté one minute more. Add in the allspice and stir to incorporate. Add in the sweet potatoes and the kale. Pour the water in and also add the tomatoes with their juice. Continue cooking the mixture on medium heat (at a low boil) for ten minutes or so (until the kale is becoming tender). Add in the zucchini and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is at the desired tenderness. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Before serving add the cilantro and stir through.

*I try to use the curly kale because it cooks quicker and isn’t so tough. If all you can find is the more fibrous waxy type of kale you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to accommodate it. If you’d like to learn a little more about kale here is a handy Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale