September Recipe - Chipotle & Black Bean Chili.

Chipotle & Black Bean Chili.

The recipe calls for a “gallon of tomatoes” and we use frozen roma tomatoes from our garden. This incredibly simple technique will save you plenty of time and effort. Simply pack the fully ripened tomatoes into a one-gallon zip-lock baggie and put it in the freezer – no washing is required. Then, when ready for use, fill a sink with cool water (60-70°) and dump the frozen tomatoes into the water. Stir them around until the skins start to loosen. Using a paring knife, cut off the stem end and squeeze the tomato so that it squirts out of its skin. If there are any bad spots on the tomato, they can be cut out at this point. The tomatoes are ready to use and do not need to be thawed for cooking. If you desire seedless tomato sauce, the thawed tomatoes or the sauce will need to be run through a food mill.

• 1 large onion – coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 gallon whole tomatoes, preferably with skins removed.
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp dried pepper flakes
• 5 Tbsp minced garlic (prepared), drained
• 2-4 Chipotle peppers packed in Adobo sauce, finely chopped.
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 4 cups cooked black beans (1½ c. dried beans cooked according to package directions*)

Sauté the onions in the olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over med-high heat for 10-12 minutes until the onions are soft but not caramelized. Add the gallon of frozen tomatoes and the dried Thyme, through the Chipotle peppers. Use 2 Chipotle peppers for a milder chili and 4 or more peppers for more spice.

Reduce the tomato sauce over medium-high heat until it has the desired consistency, stirring as required to prevent scorching. Chop the tomatoes with a spatula as the sauce cooks. When the sauce is about ¾ reduced, add the coriander, cumin, chili powder, and the black beans. Finish reducing the sauce and serve, either by itself or over rice. Serve this flavorful chili with Fenn Valley Riesling (semi-dry) or Edelzwicker. The slight sweetness of the wine will compliment and temper the spice of the chili peppers.

Serves 3-4.

* The black beans can be quick-cooked in a pressure cooker. Soak the dried beans in water for 6 or more hours. Drain and rinse. Bring to a boil in the pressure cooker with 2 quarts of water. Seal and cook under full pressure for 55 minutes. Cool, open, drain and rinse the beans.