Chili

Chili is one of my favorite dishes. It improves in the fridge, and freezes well. It goes great with wilted greens and brown rice, yet it feels like junk food to the taste buds.

I made this chili for Sunday lunch. I used pinquito beans from Suncoast Farms in Lompoc. These are tiny beans which cook in a couple of hours with no presoaking. You could substitute navy beans or any other small bean, but soak them for a few hours in cold water first. If you use kidney beans or other large beans, pre-cook them for an hour or so in boiling water until they are cooked but still a little crunchy before adding to this recipe.

Don't bother with canned beans. You want the beans to be flavored all the way through, and that only happens if they are cooked in the stew.

I give the chili a smoky (some would say bacon-y) taste with Spanish smoked paprika. You can use chipotle chiles instead. Or regular paprika, but then add 1/4 cup soy sauce instead of the salt to give a depth of flavor.

Once you've combined all the ingredients, this chili cooks itself. Check it occasionally to make sure there's enough water to cover the beans, and stir it so it doesn't burn on the bottom (although that adds to the smoky flavor).

I served it with a batch of wilted greens made with home-grown chard and beet greens, combined with purple mustard greens and dandelion leaves from the farmers market. Cornmeal muffins rounded out the meal.

Chili
1 large onion (about 1 1/2 cups diced)
2 carrots
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups pinquito beans
1 tsp salt

Sauté onion, carrots and garlic in oil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Stir well. Add tomatoes, beans and 5 cups water. Stir well. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for about an hour, adding water as necessary to keep the beans covered. Add 1 tsp salt. Continue cooking until the beans are tender, another 30-60 minutes. I like the beans to hold their shape. Season to taste. (After sitting in the fridge overnight the beans will be softer and the flavors more melded.)

Serve with brown rice or cornmeal muffins and wilted greens.

Serve 6-8.