Garden Harvest Chili

New Year's Eve, 2018 ending. I spent it at Steve and Patty's — still in Oak Lawn for winter break, school doesn't resume until January 7th. Patty made kielbasa again. Steve said "Same as last year" when the ball dropped, exactly as predicted, exactly as correct. I drank my small glass of Champagne and watched the fireworks from Grant Park on TV and felt the year settle around me in the way years do at the end, when you can finally see their shape.

2018: I graduated, I got a job, I moved to Pilsen, I stood in Room 108 for the first time and said eight names out loud to an empty room. I made pierogi well enough that Babcia Rose said the dough was acceptable. I wrote two hundred blog posts. I went to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery with sunflowers twice — once on the birthday, once on the anniversary — and each time it was different and the same and right. I made soup every week and I ate it and I stayed upright. All of it. Every single week.

Called Jess's mother on December 31st. I do this. We talk for about fifteen minutes, once or twice a year — Patty had kept in touch with her and once I was old enough to have a phone I did too. She said she had been reading the blog. She said "I read the post about the fried eggs." The April 11th post. She said "She would have laughed at you for making them in a cast iron." I said I know. We were both quiet for a moment. She said "Thank you for remembering her." I said I could not stop if I tried.

Made black-eyed peas again for New Year's Day — second year running. The same recipe, bacon and onion and bouillon and hot sauce, over rice. Good luck food. I need all the luck I can get for 2019 and I am going to eat every single superstitious vegetable if that is what it takes. The peas were good. The luck is pending. Here we go.

The black-eyed peas are the tradition, and I’m keeping them—but on the days when I want to stretch that “good luck legume” energy a little further into January, this Garden Harvest Chili is what I make. It’s the same spirit: beans, warmth, something you built yourself out of humble ingredients, eaten with the quiet intention that this year is going to be better than the last. After a year like 2018—the kind that asks everything of you and somehow gives it back—a bowl of chili feels less like a meal and more like a small, deliberate act of faith.

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

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream, shredded cheddar, and sliced green onions for serving

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5–6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add the vegetables. Stir in the zucchini and corn. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini just begins to soften.
Build the base. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
Season. Add the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Stir well, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Add the beans. Stir in the black beans and kidney beans. Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low.
Simmer. Cover loosely and simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili has thickened and the flavors have come together.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and green onions. Serve with cornbread or crusty bread on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garden Harvest Chili — Good Luck Comes in Many Forms