Fit to Be the Star of A Vegan Thanksgiving

Vegan carbonada criolla (a sustainable riff on the Argentine classic made with beef) would make a magnificent centerpiece to any Thanksgiving feast. This all-time favorite recipe is from The Natural Gourmet cookbook by Annemarie Colbin, a chef and nutrition expert who has been teaching how to make clean, sustainable, vegan and vegetarian food since long before today's "power vegans" donned their first pair of Moo Shoes. We've served this criolla more than once to great theatrical effect when scooped right out of the pumpkin--and it sure beats tofurkey!

"Carol's Vegetarian Carbonada Criolla"

One 6-pound "pie" pumpkin, calabaza pumpkin or buttercup squash (click here for details on how to select a tasty pumpkin); 2 large ripe tomatoes; 2 medium onions; 1 green bell pepper; 1 sweet red pepper; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine) or dry sherry; 2 bay leaves; 2 cups Vegetable Stock; 3/4 pound white potatoes; 1 large yam; 1 medium zucchini; 6 dried prunes, pitted; 1/4 pound dried apricots; 2 ears fresh corn; 1 cup cooked red kidney beans; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 large or 3 medium peaches.

 1. Scrub the outside of the pumpkin clean, using a stiff vegetable brush. With a large, heavy, sharp knife, cut out a lid from the pumpkin top, about 5 to 6 inches in diameter, leaving the stem intact. Using a large metal spoon, scrape out the seeds and fiber from the pumpkin shell and lid.

2. Score the tomatoes with a small cross on the underside made with a sharp knife. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove to a colander with a slotted spoon. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. Cut into medium chunks. 

3. Chop the onions coarsely. Chop the green and red peppers. Finely mince the garlic. In a 4-quart pot, heat the oil, add the onions, peppers, and garlic, and sauté over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

4. Add the mirin or sherry, bay leaves, and the stock. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Peel and cube the potatoes and yams and add to the pot. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, still over low heat.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Wash the zucchini and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds; add to pot. Coarsely chop the prunes and apricots; add to pot. Shuck the corn and cut with a very sharp knife into 1-inch rounds; add to pot. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

7. Add the cooked kidney beans to the vegetables and season with pepper. Stir well, cover, and cook for 5 minutes longer.

8. Remove the pot from the heat. Peel and halve the peaches and stir in with the vegetables. Carefully ladle the stew into the hollowed-out pumpkin. Replace the lid. Place the pumpkin in a shallow baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

9. To serve, ladle the carbonada from the pumpkin onto individual serving plates. However, do not cut the pumpkin flesh until most of the stew has been removed, or the pumpkin will collapse. If you do not plan to eat the entire dish in one sitting, wait to cut the pumpkin until it is reheated as a leftover (in a 350 degree oven.)

From The Natural Gourmet cookbook by Annemarie Colbin, founder of The Natural Gourmet Institute in New York.