Market Recipe: Autumn Fish Stew

This week on the Market Report, Amelia Saltsman tells Laura Avery how to make an Autumn Fish Stew with butternut squash, kale, and two Kinds of tomatoes.

Find the recipe below.

Autumn Fish Stew with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Two Kinds of Tomatoes

(Copyright 2013, Amelia Saltsman.)

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, about 1 ½ pounds

1 large bunch tender kale or other leafy green, such as Swiss chard or mustard greens

2 pounds ripe red tomatoes

4 smoked, dried tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 to 2 chipotles (smoked jalapenos), NOT canned in adobo sauce

1 ½ pounds halibut or other firm white fish fillets, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 Tbsp Olive oil

Salt

Vegetable stock or water

Lemon or lime, optional

Chopped parsley or cilantro, optional

Cut the squash into manageable pieces and use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the squash, peeling deeply enough until you see the bright orange flesh of the squash. Cut the squash into 1- to 2-inch cubes. Strip the stems from the kale leaves and discard (reserve stems if you are using Swiss chard). Cut the leaves crosswise into 1-inch-wide ribbons (and chard stems crosswise into thin slices). Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Remove seeds, if you’d like, by using your fingers to scoop out the seeds. Set a box grater into a bowl and grate each tomato half on the cut side, rubbing it over the large holes until you reach the skin. Discard the skins. You should have about 2 cups of pulp. Use a kitchen scissors to cut the dried tomatoes into small pieces.

In a wide pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, sauté the onions in the olive oil with a little salt over medium heat until softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the squash, chard, tomato pulp, dried tomatoes, the whole chipotles and a little more salt. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until the squash is tender and the sauce is flavorful and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick add a little vegetable stock as needed. The base may be made ahead to this point and held for an hour or two or refrigerated up to 1 day ahead.

Just before you are ready to serve, reheat the base to a simmer. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pot, spoon juices over, cover the pot and cook until the fish is opaque, about 5 minutes.

Serve in shallow bowls with a side of quinoa, beans, or rice and top with a squeeze of lemon or lime and chopped parsley or cilantro, if desired.