Black Bean Veggie Chili

As a nice respite from all of the rich, heavy holiday food, as well as a warm bowl of comfort food against the chill and dreary 39-degree rainy day, yesterday I made a big pot of chili. Packed full of veggies and protein-laden black beans, this dish is winter locavore cooking at its best: peppers chopped and quick-frozen back in August only need pouring into a measuring cup; sweet corn, blanched and cut off the cob, frozen at the peak of summer flavor and just waiting to be used in this chili; fat jalapenos from my garden, also frozen and at the ready.  All that work back in the dog days of summer pays off now with a chili pulled together in under an hour (with the exception of the black beans, which spent most of the day soaking and then simmered on the back of the stove for an hour or so).

This chili was very flavorful and really hit the spot; the mix of vegetables felt purely decadent after what has seemed to be a meat- and fat-laden holiday.  I could have used more beans in the chili (I only cooked up a half-pound), so next time I will increase the amount of beans, but other than that, this was a nice surprise for a first time recipe. I used Elise’s Vegetarian Chili recipe on Simply Recipes for inspiration, but made so many changes that it didn’t feel like an adaptation as much as an invention.

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Black Bean Veggie Chili

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 to 1 lb dried black beans, soaked and cooked until tender, or 3 to 6 cups cooked beans (See Options)
• 3 tbsp bacon grease or olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion (about 3 small onions)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
• 2 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled, diced to 1/4-inch
• 2 celery stalks, scrubbed and trimmed, sliced lenghtwise and sliced to 1/4-inch
• 1 to 2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded if desired and minced (wear gloves)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper, about 2 peppers diced to 1/2-inch squares (frozen)
• 1 and 1/2 cups chopped banana pepper, about 5 to 6 peppers diced to 1/2-inch squares (frozen)
• 1 28-oz can organic crushed tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 tbsp dried oregano (or 3 tbsp chopped, fresh oregano)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp local chile powder or cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 and 1/2 cups corn kernels (frozen, thawed)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• a few dashes Tabasco
• 2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

METHODS

1. Soak, cook and drain the beans according to your preferred method.  Salt the beans about halfway through the cooking process. (Or substitute 2 to 4 cans of cooked black beans).
2. Heat the bacon grease (or olive oil) over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or stockpot.  When shimmering, add the onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the carrots, celery and jalapeno, reduce heat slightly and saute until celery begins to soften, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add a little stock if the vegetables begin to stick.
3. Add the bell and banana peppers and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, with juice, stock, cumin, oregano, fennel and chile powder; mix well.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
4. Add the beans, lemon and lime juice, mix well, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add more stock if the chili seems too thick; if it seems too thin, simmer with the cover partially or all the way off the pan. 
5. About 5 minutes before serving, add the corn, cilantro or parsley, salt and pepper.  Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve hot, garnished with sour cream or plain yogurt, grated cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro or parsley.  Serve with warm whole wheat tortillas.

Serves 6 – 8.

OPTIONS

1. This recipe can be 100% local with beans from Cayuga Pure Organics, and by omitting the lemon & lime juices (substitute cider vinegar for a little acid). I would not omit cumin, as it imparts a particular flavor hard to reproduce with local ingredients.
2. This recipe is primarily vegetarian; I used bacon grease and chicken stock because they were on hand, but olive oil and vegetable stock would work just as well.
3. While quite tasty, I thought this recipe could have used more beans.  Next time, while keeping the same amount of veggies, I will likely cook up a pound of beans; either all black beans, or a mix of black and white beans.  For a more veggie/less bean chile, use 1/2 pound (3 cups) of beans; for a very beany chile, use a full pound (6 cups).
4. I made this recipe while my Mom was here for Christmas, so I intentionally made it much less spicy that I would for my palate.  Increase the chile powder to 1 tsp, or add additional jalapenos or habaneros peppers, to increase the heat.  Be aware of the difference between “chili” powder, which is usually ground, dried chile peppers mixed with other spices, and “chile” powder, sometimes called chile pepper, which is pure ground, dried chile peppers.  Chili powder is usually added in tablespoon amounts, while chile powder/pepper is used more sparingly.

STORE

Like all chilis, this dish will improve on the second day.  It will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  Beans don’t freeze and thaw all that well, but if you must freeze, use within 1 month to preserve the best texture of the beans.

SEASON

Technically year-round, but this is a great winter dish.

Dark Days: Swiss Chard Quiche Minis

Undaunted by the blizzard, a few intrepid souls made it to our annual Christmas party on Saturday night.  Luckily for them, there was no shortage of yummy food on hand. My kitchen counter was groaning under the weight of this sausage bread, made with linguica and local smoked mozzarella, Wild Hive rosemary bread crostini with olive oil, garlic and basil, a selection of local cheeses, curried apple chutney, sweet cherry chutney, cranberry apple butter and cranberry sauce, homemade stuffed grape leaves from my friend Nadine, chicken vindaloo and mini swiss chard quiches.

There is something about a mini tartlet that everyone loves.  It’s more work, certainly, than preparing a single-crust quiche in a standard tart pan; but the amount of extra effort seems to be outweighed by the delight people take in eating the minis, hot from the oven with their beautifully fluted pastry shells.  They disappear like hotcakes and the entire recipe can be prepared well in advance and frozen, then popped into the oven for less than 30 minutes on the day of your event.  These are stand-by party food for me, and with the exception of spices and evaporated milk, can be made with entirely local ingredients.  Try them out and see how popular your holiday parties become!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Adapted from Spicy Spinach Quiche in The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

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Swiss Chard Quiche Minis

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

• 2 and 1/2-inch fluted tartlet forms, preferably non-stick OR
• mini muffin pan
• 4-inch round cutter

INGREDIENTS

• 2 recipes Rose’s Flaky Pastry Crust, Whole Wheat Cream Cheese version (see Options for cream cheese version)
• 1 lb (16 oz) swiss chard (or other leafy green), frozen
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion (tennis ball), finely chopped (about 1/2 cup or 2 and 1/4 oz)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 1 heaping tbsp or 1/2 oz)
• 3/8 cup (3 oz) evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs (6 oz by weight)
• 3/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• a healthy dash of local chile powder or cayenne pepper
• 1 and 1/2 cups (4.5 oz) grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, for garnish (optional)

METHODS

Make the Tartlet Shells

1. Make the dough, preferably one to two days in advance, or at the very least, 3 hours prior to baking.  Allow the dough to rest for a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 24 hours, prior to rolling out.  When ready to roll and shape, remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to warm up enough to roll; dough should not crack at the edges when you press a palm into the center of the disk (about 20 minutes in my slightly cold kitchen).
2. On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness (I love these rolling pin rings to make rolling easy & accurate). Brush off any excess flour on both sides of the dough (as it will be bitter upon cooking).  Cut as many 4-inch circles as you can fit with your cutter; remove the scraps, roll into a ball, and refrigerate briefly, wrapped in plastic wrap. Lift each circle of dough (remove with a small, metal, angled spatula if your dough is sticky) and form into basic clover shape with your fingers (see picture below); drop the center of the dough circle down into the center of your fluted tart mold, being careful not the rip the dough on the edges of the mold.  Press gently into the bottom center of the mold, then work the dough into each flute by pressing with the flat edge of your pinky finger.  Press the dough gently, as the fluted egdes can rip the dough (if this happens, simply press it back together with your fingers). Leave about 1/8 to 1/4-inch of dough rising above the top of your fluted tart pan to account for potential dough shrinkage. (In the pictures below, I lined the molds with Saran wrap to see if I could bake frozen minis without a pan; it did not work, as the dough spread, and while it held the quiche, it was not as pretty as when baked in the mold). If you do not have mini tart molds, use the same basic procedure in molding the dough into mini-muffin tin pans; push or trim the dough until it is level with the top of the pan.
3. Once you have shaped each of your circles, roll out the scraps and repeat the process until you can’t cut another 4-inch circle (you can freeze this scrap for later use).  Cover the minis with plastic wrap (I store them in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours to relax the dough and prevent shrinkage.

Make the Quiche Filling

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (400 degrees F convection).
2. Thaw the swiss chard at room temperature or in the microwave until it can be roughly chopped.  Cook, briefly, either in the microwave on high for 1 minute, or steamed over boiling water for 2-3 minutes, until tender.  Transfer to a cool bowl and set aside.
3. Heat butter in a small saute pan until bubbling. Saute the onions until just translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute.  Remove to a cool bowl and allow to come to room temperature.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, evaporated milk, celery salt and black and chile peppers.  Stir in the cooled onion mixture, the swiss chard (including any liquid), and the cheese.  Spoon the filling into each prepared tart mold, leaving about 1/4 to 1/2-inch room at the top of each mini quiche (the eggs will puff up, like a souffle, upon baking, and will settle back down again once cooled).  At this point you can freeze the mini quiches for up to 1 month.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree F oven, on a lower shelf in the oven or by placing the pan directly on a baking stone, for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the eggs have become puffy, slightly browned, and a small knife inserted into the middle of one quiche comes out clean.  If the pastry begins to burn before the eggs are done, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F convection). Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yields about 24 mini quiches.

OPTIONS

1. Kale, spinach and other leafy greens would be a fine substitute for swiss chard.  You can use fresh greens, instead of frozen, but they will need slightly increased cooking time prior to incorporating into the filling.
2. Any soft, mild, local cheese would work here.  Muenster is a nice substitute as is a lightly aged goat cheese.
3. The quiche can be made completely local by omitting the pine nut garnish, celery salt, pepper and evaporated milk; however, celery salt is really the key spice in the souffle and adds a particular taste that I’ve not been able to duplicate using local ingredients.  I think it is worth the exception.  I’ve been unable to find a local source of evaporated milk.  I’ve tried the recipe with heavy cream, which works, but the souffle is not as light and airy and the flavor of the cream tends to stand out too much.  One of these days I will try it with a local whole milk.

STORE

Unbaked & unfilled, the tartlet shells will last up to 1 day refrigerated or 3 months frozen.  Unbaked and filled, the mini quiches can be frozen for up to 1 month.  Baked, the quiche will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator, but will be best on the day of cooking.

SEASON

Technically year round, but the flavors say “winter” to me.

LOCAL RESOURCES

• Flour:  Wild Hive Farm, Clinton Corners, NY
• Sea salt: Kenyon’s Grist Mill, Usquepaugh, RI
• Butter: Ronnybrook, Ancramdale, NY
• Baking powder: Rumford, an exception, from who-knows-where
• Swiss chard: Ryder Farm CSA, Brewster, NY (blanched & frozen in late summer)
• Eggs: Holbrook Farm, Bethel, CT
• Monterey Jack: Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME
• Onion, garlic: Madura Farms, Goshen, NY (from Gossett’s South Salem farmer’s market)
• Evaporated milk: Meyenberg goat milk, Turlock, CA (away)
• Celery salt, pepper, pine nuts: Away

Asiago and Green Apple Omelet with Chipotle Bacon

Christimas is only a week away and it’s been a crazy week between cooking and prepping for our annual Christmas party, cleaning the house, decorating the tree, stringing the house lights, wrapping presents, writing holiday cards – phew!  Add in a visit from Mom last weekend, my car breaking down (and the subsequent attempts at repairs by the long-suffering Tai), trying to get wedding thank-you notes out the door, and some last-minute jobs from clients, and it’s a wonder I’ve managed to cook anything at all.

Eggs are great that way; you can scramble an egg in less than a minute if you have to.  Got another minute?  Grate a little cheese and chop a few herbs to add to your scramble and it’s that much more tasty.  Got 10 minutes?  Make an omelet, complete with local, thick-cut, deliriously yummy, smoky and subtly spicy, wonderful bacon. You deserve it. 

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Asiago and Green Apple Omelet with Chipotle Bacon

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp whole milk or cream (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2-3 dashes of Tabasco
• 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, grated, loosely packed
• 1 medium Mutsu apple
• chipotle bacon (for serving)

METHODS

1. Cook the bacon.  I like to line it up on the broiler pan and cook it under the broiler (on the 2nd or 3rd rung in the oven so the splattering grease does not set fire to the oven – ask me how I know this!) for about 10 minutes until nice and crisp.  This bacon was so thick that the edges started to burn before the middle was crisp enough for my taste, so I finished the bacon up with a minute in the microwave (on high power on a plate lined with paper towels).  I find the broiler is the most hassle-free and least messy way to cook bacon, and it yields a clean supply of all that delicious bacon grease (which gets strained straight into a Ball jar and into my fridge for later use).
2. Beat the eggs. Add eggs, optional milk or cream (I always add it to omelets as I feel it helps to give them that creamy, souffle-like texture), parsley and spices, and beat well with a whisk or fork.
3. Prepare cheese and apple. Grate a mound of Asiago, or other semi-hard, grating cheese, and have at the ready. Slice the apple in half, remove the core, and slice one half into 1/8-inch slices.
4. Cook the omelet. Heat about a tablespoon of the bacon grease over medium heat in an 8-inch omelet pan until it starts to sizzle. Give the eggs one last vigorous whisk and quickly pour them into the hot pan.  The bottom of the proto-omelet should sizzle and firm up immediately; do not stir, but slightly roll the pan to level the eggs and round some of the egg mixture up to the sides of the pan.  Allow the eggs to cook, undisturbed but for a swirl now and then, for a couple of minutes, until they begin to puff up and start looking more firm, but still wet. Sprinkle cheese over the entire surface of the  omelete (reserve about a tablespoon for garnish). Layer apple slices over one half of the omelet. Continue to cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning the bottom.  When the middle of the omelet is nearly firm enough for your liking, flip over one half to fold the omelet over on itself. Continue to cook for another minute or so, or until the middle looks done (I like my omelets, and eggs in general, fairly hard; times will be shorter if you like a loose or runny omelet).  If the bottom begins to burn before the middle is cooked to your liking, turn off the heat and cover the pan; the middle will continue to cook while the outside skin remains about the same.
5. Serve.  Using a thin metal spatula, cut the omelet in half and slide each half onto a plate.   Garnish with the remaining cheese, some slices of apple (from the other apple half), and top with the chipotle bacon. Enjoy!

OPTIONS

1. A local hard cheese, such as Bardwell Farms Equinox or Sprout Creek’s Ouray, would be wonderful here. A softer cheese, such as a sharp,  aged cheddar, works beautifully as well, but if the cheese gets too soft (mozzarella, fresh goat cheese), it tend to completely obscure the apple.
2. Any mild fresh herb in season, like basil, thyme, summer savory or oregano, would work here.

STORE

Omelets are best eaten hot and fresh.  If there is any leftover, refrigerate and break up the eggs for use in another recipe.

SEASON

Year-round.