Recipe: Vegetarian Chili

Adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

1 medium-size eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes; sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and allowed to sit in a colander for one hour. Pat dry with paper towels and sauté in batches, if necessary, in a total of 1/2 cup of good olive oil until slightly brown and almost tender. Set aside.

Heat another 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven and sauté together for about ten minutes:

• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1 large or two small fennel bulbs, finely chopped
• 1 each green and red pepper, finely chopped
• About two cups finely chopped zucchini or yellow squash or a combination of the two
• 4–6 garlic cloves, finely minced

Add to this mixture one 35-ounce can of Italian tomatoes and 1–2 pounds of fresh, meaty tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped fine; and bring to a simmer over low heat. (If good, meaty tomatoes, like many of the heirloom varieties, are available, substitute another 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes for the canned.)

Add to the simmering mixture:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley

and simmer for 30 minutes until the flavors are blended. Then add 2 cups canned black beans and 2 cups of cooked and scraped fresh corn kernels, and the reserved eggplant. Bring back to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well and adjust seasonings. Serves 8–10 as a main course dish or up to 20 as a dip.