Recipes
Fall Vegetable Saffron Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 teaspoons (a hearty pinch) saffron
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 stalks celery
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil, or enough to cover bottom of pan
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chile pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 pinch kosher salt
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
4 small yellow potatoes, cubed
1-2 small winter squash, such as butternut or buttercup, peeled and cubed
3 cups cooked chickpeas (canned chickpeas can be used-rinse for lower sodium)
8 large leaves (4 cups) winter greens, such as collards, Swiss chard or kale
— Saffron aioli, for garnish (recipe follows)
Preparation
Grind the saffron threads in a mortar and pestle or with your fingers. Take ¼ cup of warm broth and add saffron to bloom. Set aside.
In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook over medium-low heat, adding spices and salt, for 5 minutes. Add broth, cubed potatoes, cubed winter squash and chickpeas as well as the bloomed saffron with its liquid. Cover and bring stew to a simmer.
Julienne the greens (chop fine at a diagonal) and add to the stew after it has simmered for 10 minutes. Cook until carrots and squash are tender, about 15-20 minutes longer.
Serve in a rustic bowl, with crusty bread and drizzles of aioli on top.
Saffron Aioli
Makes about 2 cups
4 garlic cloves
— Salt, to taste
1 pinch saffron (bloomed in 1 tablespoon of 200-degree water for 15 minutes)
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon
2 cups good extra-virgin olive oil
In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with the salt. In a mixing bowl add the crushed garlic/salt and add all the other ingredients except for oil. Drizzle in oil very slowly while emulsifying.
Recipe by Melinda Price.
