By G. Daniela Galarza

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Carter

I’ve been reading about Jimmy Carter, here and there, for the past few weeks. I wasn’t alive during his presidency, but so many people in my life were and have shared with me their favorite facts about Carter and his life. It’s become, in my mind, a personal, collage-like remembrance. 

In honor of his family’s longtime Plains, Georgia, peanut farm, today’s recipe is for a squash and peanut stew: packed with vegetables, seasoned with warm spices and easy to adapt.

A few thoughts related to Carter from my new mental file:

• He was the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital. Perhaps this was because Carter’s mother, Lillian Carter, worked as a nurse while she raised him and his three siblings. At age 68, she joined the Peace Corps. 
• Carter was distantly related to Berry Gordy.
• While many American presidents owned farms or plantations, only a few personally worked the land or harvested produce. Carter was one of them.
• Just for laughs: “You People Made Me Give Up My Peanut Farm Before I Got to Be President.”
• Last year, on Mother’s Day, my partner’s Aunt Sig sent me the most thoughtful gift: a contribution in my name to the Carter Center. It reminded me that my stepfather is a longtime Habitat for Humanity supporter, and that I hope to introduce my son to the fulfilling joy of service and building community.

Back to the recipe: For this vegetable-forward stew, from food writer Joy Manning, you’ll cook an onion and bell peppers in a Dutch oven until they soften. Spices — including ginger and cumin seeds — go in next, along with tomato paste. After letting those flavors wake up and very lightly toast, you’ll add cubed kabocha squash. (Kabocha has a lovely, dense-but-fluffy texture; butternut, honeynut or acorn would be fine substitutes, as would sweet potatoes.) 

As soon as the squash is coated with all of the aromatics, add broth and crushed tomatoes, and let it simmer until tender. Once the squash is soft enough to mash, peanut butter gets melted into the broth, thickening it and adding a rounded richness. 

A topping of crushed peanuts, jalapeño paste and cilantro offsets the soft textures and sweet flavors of the stew, but feel free to mix it up. Cashew butter in the broth and toasted cashews on top would also work, as would tahini and toasted sesame seeds. I might try it with equal parts chopped yams and collard greens (reminds me of this Aaron Hutcherson recipe), along with chunky peanut butter. I like to think Carter would have it with extra peanuts on top.

Photos by Tom McCorkle; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky, both for The Washington Post

Kabocha Squash and Peanut Stew

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently over low heat and do not let the stew come to a boil, as it may separate.

Servings: 6 to 8
Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
• 1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into small dice (1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• One (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
• 2 cups (10 ounces) peeled, cubed kabocha squash (from one 14- to 16-ounce squash)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, preferably no-salt-added
• One (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with their juices
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for serving
• 2 jalapeños (seeded or not), ground to a paste with the flat side of a knife or mortar and pestle, for serving
• 1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, for serving

Steps

1. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and bell peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and salt, and cook until the mixture is aromatic and the tomato paste darkens slightly, about 1 minute. Add the squash and stir to coat.

3. Add the broth and crushed tomatoes, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low — enough heat to maintain a simmer — and cook, uncovered, until the squash is so tender it breaks apart easily, about 20 minutes,

4. In a medium bowl, thin the peanut butter with a ladleful of the stew, stirring until smooth and pourable. Scrape the peanut butter mixture into the pot, and stir to combine. Add the cilantro leaves.

5. Use a potato masher to break up the squash, leaving some pieces intact for a chunky texture.

6. Serve with the jalapeño paste, chopped peanuts and more cilantro leaves.

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From food writer Joy Manning. Tested by Kara Elder.

Nutrition information per serving (based on 8, using chicken broth): Calories: 170; Total Fat: 10 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 17 g; Sodium: 280 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 7 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 8 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

• Kabocha >> butternut, honeynut or acorn squash, or sweet potatoes.
• Peanut butter >> almond butter, cashew butter or tahini.
• Cilantro >> parsley.
• Red bell pepper >> yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Yellow onion >> any color onion.

Having trouble in the kitchen? Looking for cooking advice? Have a question about a specific recipe? Join Post recipes editor Becky Krystal and food writer Aaron Hutcherson on today’s live chat at noon Eastern.