RECIPE: Wheat Berry Chili

It’s that time of year again when we crave warm bowls of soup, an excuse to fill our kitchens with warmth from a hot oven full of baking bread. It seems like there are unlimited ideas for what to fill your soup bowl with. From chowders and bisques to classic broth-based, veggie-packed soups, it’s chili that I’ve been craving lately. The spicy flavors add an extra element of warmth to cold December days, and this recipe could use any of our ground meats that are readily available in our Farm Store. I chose to use the standard ground beef, though next time I’ll probably swap it out for a heartier-flavored ground mutton. In an effort to use more of our farm products, I also added some wheat berries! These nutty, nutrient-dense grains gave the finished chili a seriously awesome chewy tenderness that is like nothing I’ve had in a chili before.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tb olive oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1lb Misty Brook Farm ground beef (mutton, lamb, pork, or meatball mix will also work)
• 4 Tb tomato paste
• 2 Tb chili powder
• 1 Tb cumin powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups homemade stock
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
• 14.5oz can stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup Misty Brook Farm wheat berries

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat
2. Add the onion and cook until translucent
3. Add the garlic and cook two minutes
4. Brown the ground meat in the pan and cook until just done
5. Add the spices, tomato paste, salt and pepper and continue cooking 1 minute
6. Add the stock, sauce, diced and stewed tomatoes and bring to a boil
7. In a small colader, rinse the wheat berries several times until the water runs clear (at this time, also check for any debris that might remain from sorting process)
8. Add wheatberries to boiling chili mixture
9. Reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on until wheat berries are tender, 45-60 minutes
10. Serve hot with sour cream, chives, and a sprinkle of cheese