We have chili on our minds. In summer, you ask? Well, that’s just one thing to debate about this red deliciousness. There are lots of arguments one could have about chili.
Beans or no beans?
To some folks, them’s fighting words (beans in chili).
At Glover Gardens, we’re beans all the way. Don’t be a hater.
For folks who vote Yes on the beans, what kind of beans? That’s another serious discussion.
Red, kidney, black, pinto?
Yes to all, we say.
In some regions of the US, the debate is whether or not to use tomatoes.
Really?
Yes, yes and triple-yes on that one.
Some of those same regions put their chili atop spaghetti, which seems a little sacrilegious, although we try not to judge. At my high school, the cafeteria served the chili atop rice. (Not a fan.)
Chili powder or not?
No, no and again we say, no!
We use our Zippy Southwest spice mix, if we need to kick it up, although we first try to get our kick from a variety of fresh hot peppers.
Simmer for hours or not?
No, no, a thousand times no. We’re not making a stew here, folks. It’s not Bolognese sauce. We can make our chili in less than an hour.
Is chili a soup or a stew?
Does it matter?
What kind of meat should you use?
Hmmmm, that’s an interesting one. We risk losing your respect, but will share that we have discovered that ground turkey is just as good in our Glover Gardens Chili as the ground beef or pork we have used.
Yes, really.
If you’re still reading after that confession, you are definitely open-minded about chili. So let’s explore further.
Can the meat be chicken?
We’ve had a great chicken chili, with a white sauce and white beans… chili snobs might turn up their noses, but we had seconds. And we’re not sorry.
Does it have to have meat to be chili?
At the risk of losing our carnivorous followers, we think Yes.
If you unpack the magic of chili, what it really needs is some protein, some kick, some cumin and some love. The protein can be something other than meat.
What should you top your chili with?
Whatever makes you happy. Onions, avocado, cilantro, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheese… all of these have graced our bowls of red. Yum!
Is chili only right in winter?
No, no, absolutely not. Chili is omni-seasonal. Whoops, I think I made that word up. Let’s try again: chili is year-round, ever-green (let’s make that ever-red), all-purpose and all-season. But a really good time to make it is in summer when peppers of all kinds of hot peppers are abundant and just begging to contribute their fresh heat to a great bowl of spicy goodness.
And that brings us to the point of the post. We were the blessed recipients of a gift of a friend’s summer garden bounty yesterday, shown below. Chili time! And, we have poblanos, jalapeños and habaneros ripening in pots on the patio that will supplement this unexpected richness and fill our chili pot with happy hotness.
Glover Gardens Chili is a family favorite, and here’s our recipe.
What are your chili preferences? Or perhaps more apropos to the debate, what are your chili absolutes?
© 2021, Glover Gardens
