Name: Vegetable Stew
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Anguilla
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons safflower oil; 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and coarsely chopped; 1 large yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice; 2 medium bunches chard (about 1¾ pounds), leaves removed and cut across into ¼-inch strips, stems cut across into ¼-inch slices; Large pinch ground allspice; 1 bay leaf; 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups); 2 medium dried hot red peppers, crumbled; 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice, or to taste; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste; 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups); 1 pound fresh okra, trimmed and cut across into ¼-inch rounds; 4½ cups cooked white rice

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Intolerant Gourmet

By Barbara Kafka

Published 2011

About

The thickener in this superb stew is okra, the vegetable kingdom’s version of gelatin. As it cooks, it releases a viscous substance that binds together disparate ingredients. It is the keystone of gumbo (whose name stems from the Bantu word for okra), where a hodgepodge of ingredients hangs together thanks to okra.

Okra works especially well in this vegetables-only stew, which evokes the Caribbean more than Cajun country in its seasoning.

To season the vegetable stew, add th