Let’s Have a Chili Cook-Off!
And so it goes, another summer season in the books. We’ve certainly enjoyed our share of sunny, steamy days, and it’s been glorious. But I’ll say what I say every year at this time: September is simply the best. If you have not yet had the chance to enjoy a September beach day, do it this year. It really feels different. The sun warms you rather than bakes you, and the difference is wonderful. Even with the inevitable Indian summer days we are sure to have, the air is still different. September evenings hint at a coming crispness, and the morning haze glistens like at no other time of the year. So welcome, sweet September; I’ll wholeheartedly celebrate your arrival.
Let’s do something really special to celebrate. How about we host a chili cook-off party? I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. Engaging guests by making them part of the event is a sure way to make a party fun, so let’s do it. While not everyone will enter a chili for competition, all will participate by voting for a favorite. Of course, the more competitive of your family and friends will be eager to enter a chili recipe, and of course, you’ll enter your own. In order to avoid too many of the same, consider suggesting categories like turkey chili, white bean chili and vegetarian chili, as well as good old-fashioned beef chili. If you have enough entrants for each category, award multiple prizes. As long as you have a minimum of five or six entries, though, you have a contest. Once you have recruited your contestants, you’ll need to think about setup and ballots for voting. Here are some rules to help:
Keep the identity of each chili cook a secret for fair voting. Try clever names for the entries, or numbers if you prefer. Have your participants bring their chili in an electric slow cooker and ask each to bring a ladle, unless you have enough. If possible, have the contestants drop off the chili earlier so the entries are anonymous. Another thing to consider is the number of outlets you’ll need and whether your circuit can handle it. It might be best to spread out the crock pots to keep the chilis warm and then arrange on one table just before the tasting.
Invite your guests to taste a spoonful of each chili and fill out a ballot for their favorite before eating it as a meal. Provide some crackers and water between tastings to clean their palates. Have guests rate each chili on a scale of 1 to 10 on the ballots you’ve provided. The chili with the most points wins.
Of course, you’ll have a prize or prizes. I like the idea of a wooden spoon or apron. A screen printer will print aprons with a message, like “September 2019 Chili Cook-off Winner.” The possibilities are endless, so have fun with this.
To make the most of a glorious September evening, our party will obviously be an outdoor one. Naturally, a little chill in the air requires a warm firepit. It creates instant atmosphere, and we will use it later for dessert. For chili, we will need some bowls and spoons. I still have a supply of the bamboo ones. They’ll be perfect, and we also need plates for the sides we’ll offer to soothe the chili heat. Because we need to have a variety of chili toppings, some small bowls will be required. Offer cheddar cheese, salsa, cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, sliced jalapenos and sliced green onion. These will be displayed on the chili table for the dinner servings but cannot be used on the preliminary tastings; that should be chili only.
My chili entry, though I won’t really compete, will be Confetti Chili, a turkey-based chili with a variety of colorful veggies and beans, hence the name. Bright orange sweet potatoes providing sweetness along with a generous dose of oregano are the secrets to its fabulous flavor. It’s a winner.
Confetti Chili
(Serves 8 to 10)
Ingredients: • 1 to 2 pounds of extra lean ground turkey
• 2 yellow peppers diced
• 2 red peppers diced
• 2 orange or green peppers diced
• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 cans each kidney beans, cannellini beans, black beans
• 1 12-ounce can of corn
• 1 16-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 32-ounce container of chicken stock
• 1 container of fresh salsa
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
• Salt and pepper
• Tortilla chips and sour cream for garnish
Directions: Brown ground turkey breast in a large pot with a little olive oil. Add diced peppers and sweet potatoes and cook until a little tender. Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes, white beans, kidney beans, and black beans. Add container of fresh salsa and a large can of corn. Cook until all veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper and lots of fresh oregano. Serve topped with tortilla chips and sour cream. Yum!
Now for the sides. A soothing appetizer of creamy spinach and artichoke dip with table crackers or saltines works well, and I’ll offer some cornbread and a salad. Nothing is better with chili than cornbread, and a lemony kale salad with a mild olive oil dressing will fit in nicely. (Pay attention to the recipe that suggests kneading the kale leaves to get rid of the bitterness. It really works.)
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
(Double for a large crowd)
Ingredients: • 8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
• ½ 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• Serve with 13½-ounce package tortilla chips
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cheeses except for one-half cup of mozzarella and sour cream. Cream together. Add remaining ingredients. Turn into a 1½-quart baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until browned.
Lemony Kale Salad
Ingredients: • 2 bunches kale, fibrous stems (in the middle of the leaf) removed
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup slivered almonds
For the dressing:• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions: For the kale, remove the fibrous stems, leaving just the greens. On your cutting board, pile all the leaves on top of each other and massage with your hands for about 3-5 minutes, until the leaves are no longer bitter. You use a similar motion as you would kneading bread. Move the leaves around every several kneads so you aren’t massaging some more than others. I know it sounds weird, but it works. Slice the massaged kale into bite-size pieces. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. To assemble the salad, place the kale, almonds, and Parmesan into a large bowl. Top with dressing and toss to combine.
Now for the beverages, I guess the we all know we’ll be offering a selection of beers, chili’s best friend, but a signature cocktail can be fun, too. A tequila drink light in flavor, tall and refreshing, makes the best match with chili. The Paloma would be perfect – tequila, lime and grapefruit. Cooling and citrusy, it doesn’t compete with the complexity of the chili. If you’re not familiar with it, you’re in for a treat.
Paloma Cocktail
Ingredients: • 2 ounces tequila
• ½ ounce lime juice
• 7 ounces grapefruit soda or seltzer
• Optional: salt for the rim
Directions: If desired, rim a glass with salt. Fill the glass with ice and add the tequila and lime juice. Top it off with grapefruit soda or seltzer and enjoy!
Finally, for dessert head to the firepit to enjoy a twist on the s’more. You’ll need long skewers, large strawberries (not hulled) and Marshmallow fluff. Skewer the strawberry beginning at the hull, dip in Marshmallow fluff and toast. Strawberries and marshmallow crème – it’s a winning combination, just like warm, sunny beach afternoons and cool evenings by fire. Perfect together. Cheers to September!
