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1
Start the night before by soaking the beans in cold water. Make sure they are covered by at least 2 inches of water.
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2
The next day, dump the beans (I use the soaking water-this is your preference) into a 4 quart heavy sauce pan with enough water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Add the single chopped onion and 4 cloves of minced garlic. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, and then cover and reduce the heat to maintain the barest simmer. Check every hour or so to add water to keep the beans covered by 2 inches.
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3
When the beans are tender, add 1 teaspoon of salt, cover, and turn off the heat. Begin preparing the stew.
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4
Heat a large (I use a 7 quart-this recipe makes a lot) Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until it is shimmering, then add the 2 chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.
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5
Add the 6-8 cloves of minced garlic and the chopped bell peppers and cook another 5 minutes.
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6
By now, the vegetables may be starting to stick a bit. Add a splash or 2 of cider vinegar to deglaze the pan and cook until the liquid has boiled off (add it even if it is not sticking because the flavor it contributes is tremendous).
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7
Add the spices and the butternut squash and stir to distribute the spices evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
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8
Add the tomatoes and the corn kernels and bring to a boil.
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9
Add the peanut butter and mix until it has dissolved into a sauce.
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10
Add the cooked kidney beans with the cooking liquid. Add the brown sugar, to taste, with a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the butternut squash is fork tender.
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11
About 10 minutes before you think the butternut squash will be ready, add the zucchini to the pot (add it late so that it does not become too mushy).
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12
Right before serving, taste for additional spices, brown sugar, or cider vinegar (I think I added more of all of those). Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve over rice.
