Chili...When it's Less Than Chilly Outside

I know, I know; Chili in July?

But July is prime chili time, because July is prime fresh produce time! When else can I go into my back yard, pick peppers and onions and tomatoes, come inside and cook them into a delicious chili straight away?

So I say, "Go ahead and enjoy this winter treat now, while the produce is at its prime." And don't leave out the special ingredients, either. They make the recipe.

Chunky Veggie Chili

What You Need:

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 2 large sweet bell peppers in any color, seeded and diced into 1" pieces
• 1 large onion, Vidalia if possible, diced into 1" chunks
• 6 sweet banana peppers, seeded and sliced into 3/4" rounds (you can use another bell pepper if you prefer)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 28 oz can drained diced tomatoes
• 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained (I used black soybeans)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp chipotle powder (this lends a smokey flavor, and it's wonderful)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sea salt (omit if your tomatoes are already salted)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (yes, really)

How it's Done:

1. Brown the beef while chopping your vegetables. Heat the oil in a stockpot and add the vegetables to it. Stir and saute until the beef is browned. Drain the fat off the beef and add the beef to the vegetables in the stockpot.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings. Stir in beans.
3. Cook over medium-low heat at least an hour. Longer is better. What I like to do is simmer it on the stove for 30 minutes or so, then transfer it to the slow cooker and cook it on low for a couple hours. This lets the flavors mingle and keeps me from babysitting the pot. If you choose to cook it the entire time on the stove, be sure to stir often to keep things from sticking.
4. Serve with hunks of cornbread and top the chili with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Yet More Peachy Goodness

Day 154.

 

I'm still peach wealthy. I've frozen two bags of peach pie filling and five jars of peach jam. This morning, I used eight more peaches to make some peach sorbet, and I still have more than a dozen peaches remaining.

This sorbet is delicious. Rich in flavor but light and smooth in your mouth, fragrant and delicately spiced, it's unlike anything you'll ever find at your local grocery store.

Peach Sorbet

What You Need:

• 8 ripe peaches, pits removed (peeling is optional)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

How it's Done:

1. In your blender, puree all the ingredients until you're left with a smooth liquid. If you opt to leave the peels on, be sure the peels are tiny flecks in your blender.
2. Process according to your ice cream maker's instructions. I use the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer and it took 20 minutes to freeze. 
3. Move to storage container, seal tightly, and freeze at least two hours longer before serving. 

Want more yummy recipes? Visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and get more, or link up your own dish today!

Even More Peaches!

Day 152.

I still have peaches left over from my recent purchase of 25 pounds of them. And I'm tempted to go back for more from my farmer's market.

Today, I peeled and cut them into slices for future use in recipes. More specifically, I'm putting these up for future pies. While I would prefer to pack them dry, I want to avoid freezer burn and keep them in good condition, so I'm packing them in a light sugar syrup. And that works out well for pie peaches. Here's how it's done:

You will need:

• 8 peaches for each future pie (I'm making enough for two future pies)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 6 cups of water

Step 1: Prepare the sweetener liquid.

I used plain sugar. Heat 6 cups of water on the stove. Slowly add 2 cups of sugar, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved. Let this solution cool completely before you add the peaches.

Step 2: Prepare the fruit.

Bring  a pot of water to a boil. Drop peaches in gently and let them boil for 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge the peaches in an ice water bath. Leave them there for a few minutes.

The skin will now slide off easily. Cut off any bruised portions.

Cut the peaches into slices or halves, whichever you prefer. Sprinkle the slices or halves with lemon juice or Fruit Fresh to help them maintain their color.

Step 3: Combine the fruit with the sweetener.

Fill your freezer bags or containers. If using containers, leave 1/2" head space. If using freezer bags, be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.


Step 4: Label and freeze.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor all year long!

Peaches!

Day151.

A few days ago I posted my monthly shopping trip and mentioned that I scored 25 pounds of fresh Georgia peaches for roughly 50 cents per pound. :o) Today, I spent about an hour turning half of them into freezer jam. This was my first time making jam. It was so easy a child could do it. As a matter of fact, I did enlist the help of my two daughters. We all got sticky together.

The scent of ripe peaches filled the air in our home all afternoon. It was heavenly.

Being that it's summertime, many of us will come into bounties of fresh fruit. One way to extend the life of that fruit is through freezer jam. You don't need any special canning equipment and it takes only three ingredients to do. Here's how it's done:

1. Peel your peaches. You're going to need four cups' worth of mashed peaches. This was about 18 peaches for me. Remove the pits and dump them in chunks into a large bowl.
2. Mash them really well with a potato masher. I left lots of chunks in my jam because I like chunky spreads, but let your taste buds guide you.

3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cup sugar with a packet of pectin (I found one specially formulated for freezer jams).
4. Stir together the mashed fruit and the sugar-pectin mixture. Stir for three minutes.

5. Funnel into jelly jars.     I found these lovely plastic freezer-safe jelly jars made by Ball. Leave 1/2" head space in each jar. Seal the jars.

6. Let the jam sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until thickened.
7. Refrigerate or freeze. The label on the pectin says that the jam will keep for three weeks in the fridge or a year in the freezer.

*I had a little leftover mashed peach mixture so I plopped it into popsicle molds for homemade all fruit popsicles for the kids.