Vegetarian Chili

Today, I learned that my rain jacket doesn't work very well.

...Which is a rather troubling conclusion to come to after I spent two hours in the rain at the farm this morning.

Coming home with both blue jeans and spirits seriously dampened, I knew one thing and one thing only that could finally make me remember what warmth felt like. CHILI. yum.

Each time I make chili I change it up a bit, and I think this rendition is my best yet. I got the idea for adding wheat berries from this blog, and they definitely added some great texture to the mix. Chili's pretty forgiving, so generally you can just toss everything in the pot and taste as you go along.

Best Yet Vegetarian Chili

olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small green chili, minced and seeds removed
1 cup water
1 cup chickpeas (I cooked mine from dried)
1 14-oz. can kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked wheat berries
1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen but I bet fresh would be really good now)
2 cups chopped swiss chard, stems removed
1 tsp. dried coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder (or more)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tbsp. grainy mustard
a pinch of cinnamon
salt and pepper
feta cheese, or any other kind you'd like sprinkled on top

In a big pot, soften the onion and peppers in olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir about 20 seconds. Now, basically just pile in all the rest of the ingredients, loosely in the order that I've listed them although I suppose it doesn't really matter...
Continue simmering for at least 10 minutes. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top - I really liked the saltiness of feta, but I guess cheddar or monterrey jack is traditional.
oooh and corn bread/muffins are also just grand with this.

Mah grillz

Tonight, I thought I would cook up some zucchini on the Weber and then wax poetic about the joys of summertime grilling.

Then, I experienced the not-so-much-joy of smoke in the eye. Ow.

Also, my zucchini tasted more like charcoal than vegetable.



...I obviously need to get better at this whole grilling thing.

On the whole though, when complemented with a grilled veggie burger, and some corn tossed with salt, pepper, and cumin, a tasty filling dinner!

Stewed Potatoes with Butter Beans and Simple Sauteed Greens

Job perk #1: help cut down the swiss chard forest and eat up the reject potatoes.

In my high school days of working at an ice cream shop, taking home a "mistake" sundae was a special treat indeed. Now, I feel as if I've struck gold when I get to bring home some free veg from the farm. Case in point: I was sent home from work on Friday with a bag full of seed potatoes (teeny tiny reds and fingerlings) as well as a huge bunch of swiss chard, some parsley and basil. Score +1 for the fridge.

With cans of butter beans and diced tomatoes in the cabinet, I thought I'd have a go at replicating a tomato-y potato-y tapa I remember trying a few years back. I don't know how authentically Spanish the dish turned out, but it sure was tasty anyway. Served alongside some garlicky chard, I'd say my little cooking experiment was a success.

Stewed Potatoes with Butter Beans

1 lb. potatoes, cut into relatively bite-sized pieces
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
smoked paprika (a LOT of it, but because I kept on adding it to the pot throughout the cooking process, I couldn't tell you exactly how much)
chili powder
dried oregano
dried thyme
salt
pepper
water (about 3 cups)
1 can butter beans (possibly a.k.a. gigante beans?)
1 1/2 cups peas (frozen is fine)
small handful of chopped fresh basil
about 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

In a big pot, heat a few glugs of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes, and stir them a bit until slightly browned, then remove them from the pot and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium. Depending on how much oil is left in the pot, add enough to saute the onions and peppers. After those have softened, add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds (you don't want the garlic to overcook).
Add the can of tomatoes, and the spices. The primary spice I used was the paprika, then chili powder, and a little less of the oregano and thyme. Along with the salt and pepper, you'll just have to add them as you go along until the dish is seasoned enough. Keep on tasting while you cook!
Add the potatoes back to the pot and add enough water to cover them. Bring the pot to a simmer and let the potatoes stew until you can pierce them with a fork, about 20 minutes.
Add the butter beans, peas, and basil, and continue simmering for about another 15 minutes until the liquid in the pot has reduced and the potatoes have soaked up a lot of flavor.
Spoon into shallow bowls, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and dig in!

Simple Sauteed Swiss Chard
If you have good fresh greens, this recipe (so simple you can barely even call it that) is always a winner. Last night's dining companion, who had never even heard of chard before, eagerly went back for seconds.

1 lb. swiss chard, greens and stems chopped
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
a generous pat of butter
salt

Heat oil over medium heat, and then sautee the chard stems for about 2 minutes, until they're softened, but still slightly crisp. Add the greens and the garlic, and continue to stir until just wilted. Stir in the butter and add salt to taste.

A word of warning: err on the side of undercookedness, because overcooked chard tastes remarkably like dirt. If you stop cooking right before you think it's done, by the time it gets to the plate it will be perfectly cooked.

A Preamble

Partly into the summer of 2009, I have found myself in a rather unique position. Unique for me, at least.

I've been transplanted into the middle of the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts and my evenings and weekends are no longer filled with the frantic studying and/or beer drinking that have characterized the past three years of my life. No more summer courses, no more dueling part-time jobs, and no more city hustle and bustle. (Ah- mountains!)

Instead, I find myself in the Berkshires for a new summertime occupation: working on an organic vegetable farm. You know that New York Times article on farming summer internships? After it was published, about five different people sent me that article knowing all too well that the student described in it was, basically, me. Perhaps slightly less idealistic, but still, I'm one of those vegetarian types who takes no greater pleasure than in potluck dinner parties and refining my methods for shopping at natural food stores on a budget.

But this isn't a manifesto for healthy sustainable eating. You have Michael Pollan for that. (Highly recommended, of course).

Finally with some time on my hands, this is the food blog I've been meaning to get around to for a loooooong time.

So raise your glasses of organic microbrew to hopes of fresh greens, amateur photography, and tasty grub!!

Cheers,
Hannah