Winter Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup raz al hanout spice mixture (available at specialty markets)
• 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar
• ½ tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 6 to 8 pound Hubbard squash
• 10 cipolini
• 10 red pearl onions
• ½ peeled butternut squash, cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ peeled rutabaga, cut into bite-size pieces (about a cup)
• 1 medium peeled turnip, cut into bite-size pieces (about a cup)
• 2 large Peruvian potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 to 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• ½ leek, thinly sliced (white part and one inch of green)
• 3 toasted cinnamon sticks
• ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Squash sauce (see recipe)
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs
• 4 to 6 slices Russian black bread or walnut raisin bread

4 to 6 servings

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine raz al hanout, sugar, coarse salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut top off Hubbard squash as a lid. Seed and scrape inside of squash clean. Wash, and reserve seeds. Rub lid and inside of squash with half of spice mixture. Place lid and squash, cut side down, on baking sheet. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove lid. Return squash to oven, and bake for 45 minutes more, until tender.
3. Meanwhile, place cipolini and pearl onions on a baking sheet, and roast for 15 minutes. Spread butternut squash cubes on a separate baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. On another baking sheet, arrange rutabaga and turnip cubes in two separate piles. Sprinkle each lightly with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and roast, taking turnips out after 15 minutes and leaving rutabaga to continue for 10 minutes more. Peel roasted pearl onions, and cut cipolini onions in half.
4. Put potatoes in a steamer basket over simmering water, and steam for 10 minutes, until slightly softened.
5. In a large pot over medium heat, warm remaining olive oil. Add onions, leeks, cinnamon sticks, jalapeno and nutmeg, and saute until leeks start to soften. Add squash, rutabaga and turnip, and heat through. Add all of the squash sauce and potatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.
6. Meanwhile, spread Hubbard squash on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and salt, and toast in oven until they start to pop, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
7. When vegetables are done, turn off heat, and add fresh herbs. To serve, ladle stew into cavity of Hubbard squash. Toast bread, and place a slice in each warmed bowl. Ladle stew into bowl. Sprinkle spice mix on rim of squash. With carving knife, cut a thin slice of squash horizontally across rim. Place slice on stew in bowl. Sprinkle rim with more spice mix, and the stew with more fresh herbs. Repeat with remaining bowls. Garnish with seeds.