Caribbean Vegetable Stew from Moosewood (B-)

March 30, 2006 at 3:17 pm (C (2 stars, okay, edible), Caribbean, Cruciferous rich, Moosewood)

This was another recipe recommended by a friend from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. The notes are from my friend.

2 cups chopped onion
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
3 cups chopped cabbage (I use more like 5 cups and the recipe absorbs it)
1 fresh chile minced (fresh jalepeno for me)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 cups water
3 cups diced sweet potatoes
2 cups chopped tomato (I use the no salt added canned diced tomatoes from Contadina)
2 cups okra (fresh or frozen is fine)
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. fesh cilantro

Saute the onions in the oil about 4-5 minutes. Add the cabbage and chile, saute about 8 more minutes. Add the ginger and water, cover the pan, bring to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and salt, Simmer until potatoes are barely tender. Add tomatoes, okra, and lime juice. Simmer about 15 minutes more. Add cilantro and remove the pan from the heat.

Yields 4 serving (1 cup each). I serve this with brown basmati rice.

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My Notes I thought the recipe was quite bland. I added a number of spices (cumin, allspice, garlic, etc.) to perk the flavors up. Then it wasn’t bad, but mostly just because I like those vegetables. However, I found the cabbage a little soggy. Derek, on the other hand, liked this dish a lot. He ate it happily for dinner, and with relish for lunch the next day, his appreciation for the dish clearly overriding his dislike of leftovers. Why do we never like the same things???

I made this again, for Derek, and he would barely touch it.  I added spices again, so that wasn’t it. Urgh.  I knew it wasn’t our cup of tea.  Why did he like it so much the first time? 

Rating: B-Derek: B+