Although the Rogue Valley broiled under a blanket of smoke a little more than a week ago, I expected cooler temperatures in Washington’s San Juan Islands, where my husband, Will, and I spent last week camping.
Colder climes were just one reason to bring homemade soup for a couple of our campground meals. The other reason, of course, is that hearty soups like ham and bean just taste like home. And as the rain tapped out a tune on the roof of our camper van, I’d never been so thankful that I put the remains of our Easter ham to good use rather than discarding the bone.
We could have brought canned soup of course, but the quart-sized containers pulled from our freezer maintained the cooler’s temperature for a couple days with only a little additional ice to help. The only soup snafu: I brought pumpkin-leek (definitely not Will’s favorite) instead of the minestrone I had planned to thicken with a little cooked orzo.
So with a couple of garden zucchinis left over from our trip and greeted with wintertime weather when we returned home yesterday, I had minestrone on the brain. My version combines pork sausage, onions, carrots, celery, zucchini and green beans with canned tomatoes and either pasta or canned cannellini beans. I also had a Parmesan rind saved up for just such a purpose.
It was the perfect meal to set simmering on the stove while we put away camping gear and tidied up the house. Will briefly lobbied for chili but didn’t argue once the soup was served with garlic toast and a hearty grating of Parmesan on top.
But I have a feeling that if this chill persists, chili isn’t far behind. If you’re thinking along the same lines, here’s a recipe similar to one I’ve often prepared with beef sirloin or other types of steak. I do put black beans in chili but tend to favor a combination of pinto, kidneys and black-eyes peas, too, some of which could be substituted in this recipe courtesy of The Washington Post. It’s ready in 40 minutes.
Sirloin and Black Bean Chili
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (can be in 2 or 3 pieces)
4 to 6 teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion
1 medium green bell pepper
2 medium cloves garlic
1 small jalapeno pepper
5 or 6 ripe tomatoes
3 1/2 to 4 cups canned black beans (from two 15-ounce cans), preferably Eden brand
1 tablespoon olive oil
Leaves from 6 to 8 stems cilantro
Trim off and discard any excess fat from the steak.
Combine 1 teaspoon of the chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl; rub mixture into both sides of steak.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat (and turn on your exhaust fan). Sear steak for 2 minutes on each side, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Meanwhile, cut the onion and bell pepper into small dice. Mince the garlic and jalapeno pepper, discarding jalapeno stem and seeds. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces; seed, if desired. Drain and rinse the black beans.
Add the oil to skillet used to cook steak; heat over high heat. Add diced onion, garlic and peppers; cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to release their juices. Add 1/2 cup water and return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and add remaining 3 to 5 teaspoons of chili powder (to taste), remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and drained beans; mix well.
While chili is cooking, coarsely chop the cilantro.
Cook chili for 15 to 17 minutes, until it has darkened and vegetables have softened. Then place large pieces of cooked steak in chili (to warm meat through). Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then turn off heat. Transfer steak to a cutting board. Cut into thin slices.
Add cilantro to chili; taste, and adjust seasoning as needed, adding remaining salt if desired. Divide among individual bowls; fan slices of steak over each portion. Serve hot with baked flour tortilla triangles or warm corn bread.
Makes 4 servings.
— Recipe adapted by The Washington Post from “The Everything Soup, Stew & Chili Cookbook,” by Belinda Huli.
Sometimes readers, foodies can agree
The new look of Mail Tribune blogs comes, unfortunately, with a period of time during which readers will be unable to post comments.
This, of course, isn’t the ultimate plan, but we’re apparently waiting for the newspaper’s corporate powers that be to finish constructing the rest of our blog features.
The lapse couldn’t have come at a much worse time for this blog, in particular, when I asked foodies to weigh in with their “best of” picks to coincide with the newspaper’s annual Readers’ Choice awards. We tried to cobble together a means of commenting through Rogue Current, but the social networking site doesn’t provide the same ease of dashing off a comment as the blogs do. Sigh.
Thank you to the four people who did comment. I’m still going to give my picks for local restaurants and other food-related endeavors and mention when they coincide with readers’.
Best new restaurant: Palace Café. Restaurateur Helena Darling has long brought fresh inspiration and masterful cooking to Ashland’s restaurant scene. Darling opened her Palace Café on A Street this year with the mission of providing high-quality housemade charcuterie. I can vouch for her chicken liver paté, which is amazing, but also a number of other dishes. Salads always comprise the freshest ingredients with imaginative combinations and dressings. Sandwiches are enormous and delicious. If your sandwich comes wrapped in a paper sheath, you’re not eating at a restaurant, in my opinion.
Best Asian food: I love Asian cuisine almost more than any other. Yet, disagreeing with readers, I struggle every year to name a favorite in this category. I initially was impressed by the homemade nature of steamed buns and dumplings at Seoul Garden, the new Korean-fusion restaurant by Food 4 Less, less so on a return visit. I’m crossing my fingers that a new Vietnamese restaurant rumored to be opening in the former Kat Wok space will deliver some authentic Asian food, sorely needed in this area.
Best bakery: I’m going with last year’s foodies’ choice — Deux Chats in Ashland, which makes perfect baguettes and tons of other European-style breads and pastries. Like readers, I do like many of Great Harvest’s products, though, especially the free slice of bread.
Best bar, pub or lounge: A rapid growth in the area’s Irish pubs (readers chose 4 Daughters) coincided with the local advent of wine bars. I tend to prefer the latter, like the foodie who picked Liquid Assets in Ashland and Elements in Medford. If you haven’t checked out Enoteca for wine-tasting on Ashland’s plaza, you should. Ashland’s Tease is also a nice spot for a glass of wine or mixed drink with appetizers and is rapidly becoming known as a venue for live entertainment.
Best bartender: I included this category, along with wait staff, to give service professionals their due, but I don’t actually have a favorite.
Best breakfast: I still have to go with last year’s foodies’ choice of Morning Glory, an eatery I frequented probably more than any other during my college years. The Ashland restaurant’s whimsical atmosphere is half the experience.
Best burger: Readers and foodies alike swear by Jasper’s and Eddy’s, both in Medford. I can’t disagree and would only like to see either best Red Robin. A chain shouldn’t take pride of place over local businesses.
Best coffee: At least the chains Human Bean and Dutch Bros. are locally based, justifying readers’ nods. But Ashland’s Noble Coffee is making inroads in local restaurants. Depending on how it’s brewed, Noble Coffee can be superb, as foodie Michael Davis pointed out.
Best deli: When Darling opened Palace, she was also opening a deli, with lots of prepared food items, meats, etc., in a refrigerator case to be taken to go. Just down the street, Ashland Food Co-op’s deli delivers hot and cold prepared food items, as well as meats and cheeses. Readers typically pick Deli Down or Squeeze Inn, which are more like restaurants.
Best dessert: So many local restaurants serve outrageous desserts (and not in disposable paper cups), that it’s hard to choose. But for high-quality, fresh sweets and treats that can be purchased to-go, my vote goes to Ashland’s Mix for its assortment of tarts, éclairs, cookies, cupcakes and gelato.
Best grocery store: It’s nice to agree with readers on this one. Readers of this blog know I (and so many other customers) shop at Medford’s Food 4 Less because the price is right and the owners support the local community with numerous charitable donations. If I can’t find what I’m looking for there, I go to Ashland’s Shop ’N‘ Kart or Ashland Food Co-op.
Best Italian food: I used to favor Pasta Piatti in Ashland, which has slipped a bit in recent years. None of the other local restaurants really stands heads and tails above the rest.
Best Mexican food: The most authentic, of course, are the various taco trucks around town. They’re also cheap. For a change of pace, I like Talent’s Inti for its pillowy, homemade flour tortillas and wide variety of fillings that you won’t find at other local Mexican eateries.
Best microbrew: I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I can’t disagree with readers’ choice of Standing Stone Brewing Co., in Ashland. The business is dedicated to being environmentally friendly and sustainable, to boot.
Best pizza: Score again! Readers and foodies agree that Kaleidoscope is hands-down the best pizza locally and also has a staggering number of brews on tap and wines by the glass.
Best seafood: Because I’m from the coast, I find most seafood in the Rogue Valley lacking, so I’m going to take a pass in this category. Ditto for the next category of “best steak” on account of dietary preference, but surely readers could have done better than the chain Outback Steakhouse.
Best wine: I do have lots of opinions here and have tasted so many good, local wines in the past few years that I can hardly begin to name a favorite. A slight nod goes to Del Rio both because the winery is convenient for wine-tasting close to home, and because I love their rose and viognier. Schmidt Family Vineyards is another favorite for its gorgeous grounds and high-quality wines.