It's a beautiful March day here in the Adirondacks. Sunny, but a little cold. We've got a winter storm warning in place for tomorrow. It's like that up here. Between Monday and Thursday, we can see at least 3 seasons, depending on the time of year. That's one of the things I love about the Mohawk Valley; we see all 4 seasons each year (and sometimes in one month!) It's a new weather adventure every day!
The weather plays a big role in our lives- even in the winter when we're not in the growing season. I take my culinary clues from whatever time of year we happen to be in. On cold or busy days, I love to put a big pot of stew or soup on the stove to simmer. The heat from the stove helps keep the chill out of the back end of the house, and the aroma is welcoming for the kids when they get home from school.
One of my favorite dishes is Chili. Chili con carne (chili with meat) is the style my I prefer, although my vegetarian sister might cringe. I have many vegetarian and vegan friends, and chili is one stew that can easily be converted to an all-veg mixture using squash, bell peppers, tofu and various root vegetables.
Chili is a wonderful meal choice for any lifestyle. It can be made with "light" ingredients, with seasonal ingredients, spicy, plain - even "white", using lots of cream and cheese!
Today however, I'm using bog-standard ground beef, onions, garlic, dried poblano peppers, tomatoes, spices and lots of beans!
Chili is a wonderful meal choice for any lifestyle. It can be made with "light" ingredients, with seasonal ingredients, spicy, plain - even "white", using lots of cream and cheese!
Today however, I'm using bog-standard ground beef, onions, garlic, dried poblano peppers, tomatoes, spices and lots of beans!
Dried beans are cheap! They are a great source of fiber and protein. (A super website for sourcing nutrition information is www.nutritiondata.com.) The best way to re-hydrate them is to put them in a bowl and cover them in water, filling the bowl almost entirely full- those dried beans will absorb all that liquid! Let the bowl sit overnight and start your chili in the morning. If you forgot to soak your beans overnight, simply pour boiling water over the dried beans and let them sit for an hour or so. They will finish cooking in the stew.
Winter'Rest Farm Farmer-Approved Chili Con Carne
1-2 pounds ground beef
3 onions, medium dice
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed
1-2 dried poblano peppers, rehydrated and sliced (optional)
2 (1 lb) bags of pinto beans, rehydrated (choice of bean is up to you)
2 (1 lb) cans crushed tomatoes (or stewed, or sauce or diced- whatever you have)
1 tsp cumin seeds, whole or ground
2 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp white pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 pounds ground beef
3 onions, medium dice
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed
1-2 dried poblano peppers, rehydrated and sliced (optional)
2 (1 lb) bags of pinto beans, rehydrated (choice of bean is up to you)
2 (1 lb) cans crushed tomatoes (or stewed, or sauce or diced- whatever you have)
1 tsp cumin seeds, whole or ground
2 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp white pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat your pot to medium-high and add a layer of extra virgin olive oil. Drop in the onions and saute lightly. Add the ground beef and stir to break up the meat into small bits. I prefer this method because it incorporates the meat more thoroughly and finely than browning the beef first. But by all means, do whatever works for you.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered for at least 2 hours. This can also be done easily in a slow cooker.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered for at least 2 hours. This can also be done easily in a slow cooker.
One note about dried peppers. Fresh poblano peppers tend to be mild in their heat. When peppers are dried, they can intensify in flavor and heat. Be sure to taste the re-hydrated peppers to be sure you're not getting an undesirable level of heat in your dish.
Dried peppers, along with dried vegetables, fruits and meats are wonderful food products! They literally keep forever and are quickly and easily re-hydrated, retaining most of their flavor and much of their textural characteristics. Dried food products can be safely and efficiently stored at room temperature as long as the humidity is not too high.
Experiment with these interesting foods and see what can be done!
Dried peppers, along with dried vegetables, fruits and meats are wonderful food products! They literally keep forever and are quickly and easily re-hydrated, retaining most of their flavor and much of their textural characteristics. Dried food products can be safely and efficiently stored at room temperature as long as the humidity is not too high.
Experiment with these interesting foods and see what can be done!