Green Tomato Chili

The end is near, I saw my breath when I stepped outside this morning and although we haven't seen any, Meteorologist Hutch Johnson has been throwing the s-word around for a few days now. I noticed they had a blizzard in Denver yesterday.

At least my 'lil one will have her witch costume covered only by a coat and not a snowsuit this Halloween. The smartest costume I saw last year was the neighbor girl dressed as a snowmobiler... practical... although it would've been much more clever if she had thought to tell people she was Todd Palin.

Anyhoo, I think my gardening days are doneskies.

I pulled up all my glorious tomato plants and gathered what green tomatoes were left, turns out quite a few. There is probably a reason no one else grows heirloom tomatoes up here, they grow too slow or need many more hot days than is possible this far north.

I'm not going to start admitting now that my all organic, sustainable, urban gardener ways may have been slightly misguided. I did too much scoffing at everyone else's puny tomato plants this summer to acknowledge the fact that their tomatoes actually ripened, while most of mine did not.

Nonetheless, I've got buckets of green tomatoes on my hands and am rapidly thinking of ways to use them. I've deduced that anywhere a tomatillo would work, so would a green tomato. They have a similar texture and tartness. What better to cut through the spice and beefy-richness of chili than some sharp green tomatoes?

Oh yeah, add some aged sharp cheddar on top. Washing this down with a Fanta never hurt either.

Green Tomato Chili
Print It!
Makes 8-10 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced (you can leave seeds in if you like things spicy)
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound dry pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
3 large green tomatoes, diced
6 cups chicken broth, stock or water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add garlic, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeños and continue cooking until browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Add ground beef, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and coriander and stir, breaking meat up with the back of your spoon. Cook until beef is browned, about 5 minutes more.

3. Add beans, tomatoes, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Add salt and cook another hour. Taste and add more salt as needed; stir in cilantro right before serving.