My sister in Prague asked in an email, in reference to last week's post, "Can we get a Snow Cone?," if spending time with my friend's children made me want some of my own. I answered decisively, "No. But it did make me realize how many hours there are in a day." It also made me want to get back to cooking.
Evidently young children need to eat frequently. It seemed much of the day revolved around preparing the next meal, kids eat first, then adults. Keely and Mordecai are both great cooks. We have always been into food and drink and in the good old days we each spent time in our respective kitchens, though it's Keely's baking - biscuits and brownies in their Brooklyn apartment - I remember most. Two January's ago I tapered off my cooking habits to pour all my energy into establishing good writing habits. The trifecta of confidence in this new habit, an inspiring visit with K&M, and the cooling weather had me playing in the kitchen quite a bit last week.
Always a little dimissive of pesto, I followed Mordecai's prompting and enthusiasm for the condiment, and made a fabulous batch of my own with raw pecans I bought from Marilyn at the Sale Barn last Spring (which is to say, local produce), extra garlic and a mess of 'pesto perpetuo' basil, a plant I bought from Territorial Seed Company. It's a beautiful variegated basil I've loved having in the garden for its color contrast and texture. Turns out it is really great for pesto, too.
For the record, I also grilled a fennel & mint rubbed pork tenderloin, hamburgers and devised a black bean green tomato chili for football Saturday.
Forward Pass
This weekend marked the beginning of SEC football, every game played so far was only exhibition, and some diehards argue, doesn't even count. Long time readers will know I pull for Alabama, (even if Ole Miss needs the support more, and yes, despite my being a Florida native). A 38-14 win over Arkansas made for a well spent afternoon. But it was Marquis Maze's 83-yard punt return touchdown that made it all worthwhile. When an athlete can out run, zigzag, pace and zip again past enemy lines, well, that's cause for an eye-watering celebration of the human ability. Stellar athletic prowess makes me cry.
I am a season ticket holder to the University of North Alabama football games and Saturday night was the big homecoming battle against long time rivalry Harding. We won, 28-20 in the fourth quarter after a 14-20 trail. Luck was on our side.
Friday was a the first day of Fall and the garden is in accord; three-inch tall collards and kale have pushed up through the soil, perennial ornamental look relieved in the cool, damp air and the Sheffield Pinks (mums) are full of buds. Seems we're all excited about the new season, the change in atmosphere. In case anyone is curious, I'm sharing my new (delicious) recipe below. Ah, the domestic in me reaches out.
Black Bean & Green Tomato Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 onion chopped
3 green tomatoes chopped & seeded
2-3 cloves garlic minced
2-3 jalapenos chopped
3 cups cooked black beans (one cup dried, slow or pressure cooked with a tbls of olive oil & reserve cooking liquid with beans)
2 tbls chili powder
2-3 teaspoons ground cumin
1-2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne, for heat
Salt, preferably Kosher
Heat pot on medium-high heat and cook ground beef. When fat begins to cook out add onions. Cook a minute or two and add seasoning.
Add tomatoes, garlic and jalapenos. Simmer a few minutes, lowering heat so it's not rapidly bubbling, and add black beans with about one cup of cooking liquid, depending on how saucy you like it. The green tomatoes will not release as much liquid as ripe tomatoes would so don't count on the concoction becoming much thinner than it is at this point.
Simmer 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on tenderness of beans and tomatoes as per your personal preference. After a half hour I dropped the heat to low and let it sit, stirring every 20-30 minutes, for about an hour. Top with sour cream and cheddar or Mexican queso.








