Roasted Harvest Chili

A wonderful farm to table market bargain inspired this hearty Roasted Harvest Chili. Fresh tomatoes, colorful peppers, ground beef, and a few pantry seasonings come together in a rich, comforting meal. What began as purposeful preparation for our family’s needs became an unexpected favorite when Rick exclaimed, “Why haven’t we made this before? I can really get into chili!”

Enjoy the recipe, then read A Harvest of Provision, the accompanying devotional about faithful stewardship, caregiving, and the unexpected blessings found in ordinary days.

How to Make the Roasted Harvest Chili

Ingredients

• 18 lbs fresh tomatoes
• 1 tomatillo
• 8 cups finely chopped mixed peppers (sweet bell, poblano, jalapeño, and long hot peppers)
• 3 lbs ground beef
• 1 cup frozen chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon frozen grated garlic
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon non-iodized salt

Directions

1. Roast the tomatoes. Cook tomatoes and tomatillo low and slow in the roaster until reduced by half. Remove most skins; blend with an immersion blender.
2. Brown and season the beef. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Season with garlic powder, chili powder, black pepper, and non-iodized salt.
3. Build the flavor base. Sauté onion and celery until browned; add frozen grated garlic. Deglaze with red wine, then return the seasoned beef.
4. Combine the chili. Add the meat mixture to the roasted tomatoes. Stir in the chopped peppers and dark molasses.
5. Simmer and serve. Continue simmering gently until the peppers are tender and the flavors have blended. Serve hot and enjoy, or cool promptly and follow the freezing instructions below.

Options:

Serving:

For chili with beans, add 1 can of drained black beans or an equivalent amount of cooked beans to the finished chili. Heat through and serve. Beans were not included in the base chili.

Freezing:

Cool promptly in shallow portions. Transfer to airtight freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving headspace for expansion. Label and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly.

Note:

Freezing is recommended for this recipe. We cannot recommend a canning direction, as this is not an approved recipe for canning.

From My Kitchen

Two of my favorite tools for preparing large harvest batches are my electric roaster and immersion blender.

The electric roaster allows me to slowly cook down pounds of fresh tomatoes while keeping my stovetop available for other ingredients. Once the tomatoes have softened and I’ve removed most of the skins, my immersion blender makes quick work of creating a rich, smooth tomato base. My immersion blender is corded and the one I listed is the new and improved version of my old tried-and-true stick blender. However, if I had it to do again I would try to get one with a rechargeable battery and no cord. In my opinion the cord is too short and unwieldy in the kitchen when I am trying to stir hot food without splattering. Let me know which you prefer!

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