AN OJAI CHILI WINTER

 

AN OJAI CHILI WINTER

 

No, not to be confused with chilly. Here in the Ojai Valley, chilly is a relative term – though to be fair, we drop down to freezing a few times in the winter.  But, with a zillion Mexican and BBQ restaurants in California, chili is a staple. When I think of a winter meal, however, chili recipes don’t jump from my cookbooks. I think of pot roasts, rib roasts, or legs of lamb surrounded by crispy-on-the-outside, mushy-on-the-inside roasted potatoes or homemade soups enjoyed in front of a blazing log fire. My mind deliciously drifts to sumptuous winter holiday parties with baked turkeys to feed the multitudes, maybe a honey-baked, fresh or canned ham – perhaps a few roast ducks, or brisket!      

 

Autumn was in full foliage in Northern California as my husband, Richard and I drove up PCH to Marin County where we were introduced to Deer Valley Chili at a small dinner party hosted by my high school BFF, Gisela, and her husband. We loved the dish and copied the recipe. Back home in L.A., winter (such as it is) was fast approaching along with its holiday season. It was time to start preparing for our huge holiday party, ranging anywhere from 25-50 people, depending on who flew off to Aspen or back home to New York (like us, many of our friends were transplanted NYers). Their kids were welcomed and grew up as part of our Christmas Eve tradition. In fact, when we sold our house to move to Ojai, we threw a goodbye pool party for all our friends and invited our home’s new young owners. Dear friends’ twin daughters who were twenty-something at the time, told our buyers they would see them on Christmas Eve, explaining that they had celebrated that night in our, now their house every year since they were five. The new owners were charmed, if not a little wary that they would indeed show up... but I digress. 

 

As Richard loves to cook (lucky me) and is quite the chef, the menu for our yearly holiday party was his domain. That year he decided to try a different approach to his holiday buffet to feed a hoard. We’d become more health conscious and environmentally ‘woke’ by cutting down on red meat. (We also own a hybrid car, so we cut down on car gas and cow gas!) So, he decided on something poultry – free range, of course, but, no, not a “Thanksgiving” turkey with stuffing, but, a chicken or turkey cassoulet. Light bulbs flashed... why not a poultry chili (though I’m not sure the French think of any vat of chili as a cassoulet or even a casserole, but I’m digressing, again). From sea to shining sea, chili parties are always popular, so he opted to make Gisela’s Tex-Mex turkey Deer Valley chili.

 

 

OK, Deer Valley, Utah is not noted for a large Hispanic (less than 25% last count) or a transplanted Texas population, but this turkey chili (chicken can be a substitute) checks all the Tex-Mex cooking boxes ...tomato, black beans, corn, onions, and chili beans (of course)... so Richard multiplied Gisela’s recipe to feed a crowd of 30-40 with a side red cabbage and walnut salad (holiday colors)

 

 

 

 and cornbread... Mexican cornbread, of course.

 

 

Whether you chili-out with a few friends or with a village, everything you need can be found at Ojai’s Sunday and Thursday farmer’s markets, Rainbow Bridge or, both Westridge Markets where you can also order your free-range chicken or turkey.

 

DEER VALLEY CHILI

(Southwestern Tex-Mex Chili)

Ingredients: 

2 cups dried black beans, rinsed

10 cups water

1 teaspoon pepper

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 medium Anaheim chilies, seeded & chopped

2/3 cup chopped red onion

2/3 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 large leek (white part only), chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dried oregano, crumbled

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2-1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

4-1/2 cups chicken stock or canned broth

2-1/4 cups frozen corn, thawed

4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken – it’s this diced turkey or chicken that makes it different from traditional turkey chili recipes which use ground turkey…

(Richard roasted a turkey for the occasion)

Toppings:  

Grated cheddar cheese

Chopped red onion

Sour cream

Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Place black beans in large pot w/ enough cold water to cover by 3 inches and let soak overnight.

Drain beans.  Return beans to pot.  Add 10 cups water and the pepper and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1-1/2 hours.  Drain beans.

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat.  Add Anaheim chilies, 2/3 cup chopped onion, celery, bell peppers, leeks, garlic and oregano.  Cook until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Add flour, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add 4 cups stock and bring to simmer, stirring frequently.  Puree 1-1/4 cups corn w/ remaining ½ cup stock in food processor.  Add puree to chili.  Mix in black beans, turkey and remaining 1 cup corn.  Simmer chili 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(Can be prepared a day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  Reheat before serving.)

Place toppings in individual bowls on the table for everyone to pick and choose.

Makes 6 servings. 

Obviously, Richard more than tripled the recipe to make enough to feed the ‘throngs.’ Recipe is easily doubled or tripled.  For 30 servings, multiply by 5.

 

MEXICAN CORN BREAD

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

4 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn

½ (4 ounce) can chopped green chili peppers, drained

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

4 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Blend in cream corn, chilies, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese

In separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Makes 6 servings. Richard, of course, made more than one batch for our party.

Chili out!  Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!!!

A TASTE OF AUTUMN

 

THE TASTES & AROMAS OF AUTUMN

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold...

Sing it, Nat (as in King Cole in the old Johnny Mercer classic)...

Those falling red and gold leaves, along with crisp cool air, bright blue skies, college football games, a flask of whiskey, and a crewneck sweater tied around my shoulders bring back many a college memory.  I love fall.

Still do, even though I now live in the Ojai Valley, where there’s little fall nip in the air or a need for sweaters over my shoulders, crewnecks or otherwise. But the heat does recede, some leaves do change color, and we have a pumpkin patch for the kids who trick or treat with glee. 

Fall is the prelude to the winter holiday season, ending with the celebration of Thanksgiving where many families and friends across the country share a traditional festive meal of turkey, stuffing, string bean casserole, and all sorts of pies. At least in Norman Rockwell illustrations.

These autumn days also bring the political election season featuring stump electioneering, endless TV commercials, telephone calls to “donate to whomever” and a zillion texts and emails to do the same.  $1.00, $2.00, $10.00 or $100.00 – whatever you can afford... reams of literature and flyers left in your mail box... televised and non-televised political rallies, town halls, campaign meetings, primaries and caucuses.  And folks hosting dinner parties for various candidates or causes.

In 1988, Richard, my writer-director-producer (in Hollywood, everyone’s a hyphenate) and great cook husband (and the reason I branched out as a writer and started writing about food, but I’m digressing...), and I belonged to a gourmet group in L.A.  It was a presidential election year and in October when it was our turn to host the group’s monthly dinner, we decided on an election ‘theme.’  As the host couple, we provided the entrée and drinks. 

With family roots in the south, Richard decided our entrée would be Brunswick Stew... a southern tradition where politicians would use a pot of stew, traditionally made with squirrel or rabbit (“Hi, I’m Larry, this is my brother Daryl and my other brother Daryl,” with rifle and a string of dead squirrels in hand, come to mind for you Newhart fans - RIP) and local veggies like lima beans, corn and okra to lure folks to campaign rallies and the polls on election day. “Cast your ballot, stop by for stew.”

Why Brunswick Stew? I hadn’t a clue. As a “Yankee,” I’d never heard of Brunswick stew.  Lamb stew, beef stew, even fish stew, yes – but Brunswick stew, nope.  But I soon learned the answer - it was very cheap for working folk to make and could feed a crowd.  Add a jug or two of moonshine, and folks flocked to the rallies and polls.  We, of course, did not have moonshine, but bourbon gave us all a healthy shine.

Stew Backstory: Brunswick Stew also caused a war between the states. Not North against the South, but Virginia against Georgia, both fighting over who first invented this hearty c0ncoction. It was called “The Great Brunswick Stew War” and it’s been waging for over 100 years.

Brunswick, Georgia claims to be the birthplace of the very first Brunswick Stew. But, but, but Brunswick County, Virginia fiercely makes the same claim. If you do a little research, Brunswick, Georgia made its first stew in 1898, and Brunswick County’s stew was created in 1828, 70 years earlier.

As legend has it, Dr. Creed Haskins, a member of the Virginia state legislature, wanted a special dish for a political rally. Jimmy Matthews, an African American hunting camp cook (and most likely a slave), concocted a huge pot of stew made with squirrel and provided the recipe for the rally.  The stew, named after the county, went on to become one of the most beloved dishes at all of Virginia’s political events.

The recipe for the stew, which then became a Southern favorite, varies from state to state, family to family. Many Virginia recipes now lean more toward chicken or rabbit as their meat ingredient, whereas Georgia’s recipes are more the beef and pork variety. 

I love humorist Roy Blount, Jr.’s reported explanation of this beloved dish: 

“Brunswick Stew is what happens when small mammals carrying ears of corn fall into barbecue pits.”

From a zillion recipes for this election season stew, here are links to two - a classic Virginia Brunswick Stew recipe and an old-fashioned Georgia Brunswick Stew recipe:

https://food52.com/recipes/38861-classic-virginia-brunswick-stew

https://thehappierhomemaker.com/georgia-brunswick-stew/

If you’re reading this column before November 5^th, please remember to VOTE – then on November 6^th, stew on the results.