Interesting recipe. Some of the ingredients may be foreign and difficult for some people. Just as a general rule you can substitute dry turmeric with about 1 teaspoon for an inch of fresh. A knob could be of various sizes but probably 2-3 teaspoons is good.
Kombu is a type of brown algae and is used to provide Umami in dishes. It can be found at places like Whole Foods and asian markets. If you can’t find it you can also something like nori which is a seaweed more commonly found in markets, it has become a popular snack. You could also use bonito flakes (although I would skim out the flakes and discard after boiling). Another thing you might use instead is fish sauce, but for some that might be an “acquired” taste.
If you can’t find delicate squash you can probably use acorn or butternut, but you may need to peel them. You could also use sweet potatoes in place of garnet yams. And remember pickled beets are not canned bets (nor are they harvard beets). Pickled beets have sugar, vinegar and pickling spices.
ps. The tumeric-kombu broth is what is called Dashi, an umami broth central to japanese cooking. You can reuse it almost anywhere you would add water or broth to a dish.
I have to also say, while tumeric (or the active ingredient curcumin) has been possibly found to be beneficial, I really wouldn’t call anything “Healing” even chicken soup. And I suspect that the tumeric, particularly if in powdered form, would turn the stew quite yellow. That would mean that your guests wouldn’t be able to tell whether you used kangaroo or bison.
Brian, your mother is crying in her grave (if she is no longer with us) for that comment about chicken soup (especially if there is a matzo ball in it)! If she is still living, I wouldn’t be expecting a birthday gift this year…
Sadly I lost my mother 25 years ago. She made a a very good matzo ball soup as does my wife. I also make homemade chicken stock. But in either case I just don’t believe this “healing” stuff just like I don’t believe in a “colon cleanse” or a “liver cleanse.”
Eric, you know I luv ya, buddy, right? But please proofread your posts and use punctuation and correct spelling, OK? I will read your posts regardless though! ️
Thanks for not being offended, Eric. It’s really my issue; probably has to do with Catholic school PTSD, having been hit for incorrect spelling and punctuation. And our writing had to be painfully neat (or we’d feel the pain!). I was once told during med school that I’d never graduate and get my MD because my writing was too neat!