On the wall alongside my desk at work, I put up a bumper sticker that says “I ♥ Crock Pots!” And it’s no exaggeration. There is something about slow cooking that draws the best from ingredients, blending them together in a most extraordinary way, filling our home with scents so sublime that we have been awakened by them as they cooked through the night, and then warming us, body and soul, with complex flavors at once sweet, spicy, sour, and umami.
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
- 4-5 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
- 3 c. vegetable broth
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, diced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 c. golden raisins
- 1 bunch spinach, washed and trimmed (approx. 4 cups)
- 4 tsp. cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in large frying pan until swirling and fragrant. Add onions plus a pinch of salt, and cook approx 4 min. until translucent. Add spices plus 1/4 tsp black pepper; cook approx 1 min, stirring, until fragrant. Be careful not to overcook this.
Transfer contents of frying pan to crock pot (or roaster) and add Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, parsnips and broth. Stir in remaining salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 90 minutes (probably 275-300F in the oven).
Add squash, sweet potatoes, chickpeas and raisins. Cover and cook for 90 more minutes. Once a knife easily pierces all the vegetables, it’s done. Gently mix in spinach, stir in vinegar, and serve. Thank you to Chow.com for this inspiring celebration of the season’s bounty.