Fall Pumpkin and Tomatillo Stew

MC Baker's Note:

My recent trips to the farmers markets on the weekend have resulted in some delicious and creative recipes.. Now I said creative, not awesome... Some have not been top notch, but this recipe is a keeper. I'm saving it so i remember how I made it. It's really hearty for a vegan dish. Sooooo Yummy, and even my one year old loved it.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 small sweet cooking pumpkin , also referred to as a pie pumpkin
• 1 ½ lbs tomatillos , paper removed and quartered
• 1 lb fresh Brussels sprout
• 3 medium russet potatoes , quartered
• 3 ears fresh corn , kernels cut off
• 2 pasilla bell peppers , diced
• 1 red bell pepper , diced
• 1 small zucchini
• 4 small Japanese eggplants , the slender ones
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut pumpkin in half. This can be tricky, but I typically take my sharpest knife and puncture the pumpkin a few times and then slam it on the counter. Eventually it will crack in half (or more). Remove seeds and reserve them. They're good after being washed and coated in olive oil and salt and baked for ~10 minutes.
2. Bake pumpkin and brussel sprouts with a bit of salt and olive oil coating them in oven at 350 F for at least an hour, until the pumpkin is soft and the brussel sprouts are a bit crisp. You can also toss the brussel sprouts in the broiler for 5 minutes at the end of cooking. I cooked the pumpkin a day ahead.
3. Place potatoes in just enough cold water to cover in a pot on the stove. Set burner on high. Heat until rapid boil, and then lower heat to boil until potatoes are cooked through.
4. While oven and stove are going, prep veggies. For the eggplants, cut the end off, slice in half, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Salt the surface of the eggplants and set aside so the can loose some water.
5. Remove potatoes and place in cold water for a little while. Once the potatoes are cool enough remove skins, dice and add back to pot retaining just enough water to cover diced potatoes.
6. Add wine and uncooked veggies and pepper to pot.
7. Remove pumpkin and brussel sprouts. Peel skin or scoop pumpkin out of shell and cube in 1/2 cube. Add pumpkin and sprouts to stew pot.
8. Cook until all veggies are done and tomatillos have disappeared into the stew.
9. Add olive oil to the top of each serving or to the entire pot to add some body. Stew is best the next day.
10. Serve with bread.