Here’s a tasty seasonal dish that’s easily adaptable to use whatever root vegetables you have on hand. I always like to include some beets because they give the stew a pretty red color, but any combination of root vegetables will work well.  It’s a perfect dish for the cold months of the year — tasty, warm, and filling.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. each cumin, coriander, ginger

4 cups winter squash (any kind), peeled and cubed

4 cups chopped (and peeled, if desired) root vegetables, such as carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, celeriac, rutabaga

3/4 cup barley

3 cups water

salt to taste

Saute the onions with the spices. Add the squash and root vegetables, barley, and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all the vegetables are cooked, about 30 minutes.