A Plethora of Avocados

So my landlords, as a consolation for being out of hearth and home, have given us a mass of avocados. And when I say mass, I mean enough for a vat of guacamole or enough to do 55 cobb salads with leftovers for those starving children in India. There is a freaking lot of avocados, and if I knew what a plethora was, I might say I have a plethora of avocados.

All of these avocados are going ripe at the exact same time.

I seriously don't know what my landlords were thinking. If I dont' have a home, what the heck am I to do with a crumb load of avocados? The fact that I do have a home during this time of displacement is irrelevant, they don't know that.

So as I wait to hear about the state of my flooded home and as I occupy my new home, I'll include avocados in my recipes as if they came from my CSA. Lord knows, I am as strapped to deal with them as I am with all the other vegetable crap.

To celebrate my inordinate amount of avocados, I've decided to cook a dish that does not contain one single avocado in it:

Butternut Squash Stew

2 large leeks, white parts only
roasted peanut oil
garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and deveined and minced
fresh ginger, minced
kale, finely chopped [my own thing]
1 Tbs curry powder
1 tsp light brown sugar
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 can (15-0z) coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 medium/small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
salt
firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
lime juice
raw peanuts
fresh cilantro, chopped

Halve leeks and place them with the kale in some cold water to shake out the dirt.

Fry tofu in a little bit of peanut oil.

Heat oil in a wide soup pot. Add leeks and cook over fairly high heat, stirring frequently, until partially softened (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic, chile, ginger, and kale. Cook about 1 minute more, then add the curry, sugar, and soy sauce. Reduce heat to medium, scrape the pan, and cook for a few minute more. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, squash, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered (about 15 minutes). Add the tofu to the stew once the squash is almost tender and then simmer until squash is done. Taste for salt and add lime juice.

Fry peanuts in some peanut oil over medium heat until browned, then coarsely chop. Serve the stew over rice and top with peanuts and cilantro.

This is from Deborah Madison's book and way kicks ass. I totally burned the peanuts, but it tastes good even without them.

Viva la avocados!