Harvest stew

It's a rare rainy day here in the Bay Area, and the region was pleasantly gray. Tomorrow's my day for lunch group, so I'm pulling out a seasonal favorite - Locro: harvest stew with sofrito topping

I've made this a few times, and the recipe is pleasingly vague. It's been a little different each time I've made it, but delicious in every instance. And, as ever, it made a metric ton! I'll be sure to bring some to the new small family, but I do solemnly declare I'm going to freeze some for later, instead of eating the same thing for the next week!

Yesterday I threw 1/4 each white beans, barley, and wheat berries in a pot of water, to soak overnight (I understand this step for the beans, but not for the grains, but it certainly doesn't hurt). Today I got a bunch of fresh veggies:

Then, I simmered the beans & grains while I diced the sweet potato, regular potatoes, and then peeled, seeded, and diced the butternut squash. (My leftover Halloween scraper works well for that last job!) Finally, I chopped up the red pepper and tomatoes.

The last touch: cut the corn cob into wheels, and chuck into the stew:

The tomatoes and red pepper have been sauteed until soft with a bunch of paprika, and will make a striking topping later:

Yum! It's been a productive evening!