Cowboy Stew —rsquo; When the Last Corn of Summer Goes into the Pot

Last week of August. The garden is doing what gardens do at the end of August: producing everything possible before September closes the account. The tomatoes are at their peak — too many to eat fresh, going into the canning pot and the freezer in batches. The zucchini that Helen planted in June has reached the size where I am leaving it on neighbors' porches under cover of darkness, as is the Vermont summer tradition. I am not ashamed. The zucchini asked to be what it is.

I have been working on a blog post about corn. About the difference between corn at two hours and corn at two minutes — the way sugars convert to starch the moment you pull an ear, how supermarket corn sold as "fresh" is frequently a week old and no longer sweet in the way that corn is sweet on the day it's picked. About driving to the farm stand before six in the morning to get the corn that was picked that morning. Most people think I am being obsessive about this. I do not think I am being obsessive. I think I am being accurate. There is a difference.

Teddy starts fourth grade next week. Anna starts first grade. The school year beginning means the gardening year is ending — the two things have always been linked for me, since September was the month I returned to school for thirty-eight years. The tomatoes going into the canning pot and the notebooks going into the backpack have always happened in the same Vermont week. September says: summer is over. Do your work.

Helen canned the last batch of tomatoes Wednesday: fourteen quarts, plain sauce, plus six jars of crushed tomatoes for the winter's worth of pasta and pizza and soup. The cellar shelf that was empty in June is full. The arithmetic of the pantry has been solved for another winter. My mother kept a ledger of the canning. I have never kept one. I do not need to. I know the shelf is full. That is the only number that matters.

The corn I wrote about — the kind picked that morning, still sweet, still honest — doesn’t have to be eaten plain off the cob to be worth something. When the last good ears of the season are in hand and the tomatoes are already going into the canning pot by the quart, this is the moment Cowboy Stew earns its place. You cut the kernels off the cob, you use the crushed tomatoes Helen just put up, you put the whole thing on the stove while Teddy and Anna get their backpacks ready, and by the time the first school-night homework is done, the pot is ready. September says: summer is over. Do your work. This is the work.

Cowboy Stew

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 3 ears) or 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
2. Soften the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Season the base. Stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to bloom the spices into the beef and onion mixture.
4. Build the stew. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add potatoes and simmer. Add the cubed potatoes. Bring the stew to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are just beginning to soften.
6. Finish with corn and beans. Add the corn kernels, kidney beans, and pinto beans. Stir to combine. Continue simmering for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fully tender and the stew has thickened slightly.
7. Adjust and serve. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls. Serve with cornbread or crusty bread if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 430 | Protein: 29g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 720mg