Comfort in a Bowl (aka: White Chicken Chili recipe)

It seems that in the past month, at least two people are sick at any given time in our house. That's a lot of germs, folks. That's a lot of demands for comfort food, also. To be frank, I'm a little tired of chicken soup, so I've been trying to develop a taste for other comfort foods in my family. This recipe is a sure winner. Everyone loves it, and it's easy to make.

White Chicken Chili
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (if we've got leftover chicken from a roast, I use that, otherwise I boil 2 boneless breasts and shred it after cooking)
1 bag of great northern beans, soaked and cooked(or 2 big cans of northern beans or other white bean)
1 onion, chopped
1 stick, plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cups milk or half and half
2 cups chicken stock (or 1 can chicken broth)
1 small can green chilies
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper (to taste)

Condiments: sour cream, monterey jack or sharp cheddar, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro or whatever else you fancy

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot (I use this cast iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, stirring several times to coat with the butter. Allow the onion to cook down until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove onions to a separate plate, and add remaining stick of butter to pot.
4. Once butter is melted, slowly add in flour while constantly whisking (this is making a roux)
5. very slowly whisk in the milk/half and half until the mixture is thick and well blended, then very slowly whisk in the stock
6. add in the onions, chicken, green chilies and spices
7. reduce the heat to med-low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or reduce to low and let it simmer for an hour or so)

Serve with condiments and enjoy!

The one in which we talk about eating locally...

It is 98 degrees outside my window here in Pennsylvania right now. A hot, muggy, sweltering 98 degrees - and it's only 8:53 am as I start this blog entry. It's suppossed to go over 100 today. As I sit here with a damp hankerchief wrapped around my neck (truly the best way to cool yourself off on a day such as this!) I am consciously stopping myself from cursing this heat and humidity (especially after the fall preview we got last week.) I'm trying to focus on the positive of this inferno. It will be short lived - school is starting next week and surely fall is just around the corner. And, it's making my tomatoes grow.

And grow they are! The bounty of tomatoes parading through our kitchen these past few weeks has been nothing short of miraculous. Clearly, Mother Nature is loving my committment to eat local this year, and in her effort to support this endeavour, she's sending forth the most delicious tomatoes.

I'm sure by now, you've heard about the Local Food Movement. If it hasn't already, the word locavore will surely pop up in your news reading before summer is over. If you're interested in doing the local food thing, this Eat Local Challenge post is a great overview to start with. I've adopted the locavore pledge outlined in that post:

• If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
• If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
• If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
• If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
• If all else fails, at least don’t eat at McDonald’s!

If you're not sold yet on the benefits of eating locally, watch this:

I encourage each of you to try to have at least one local meal this week. With summer's bounty upon us, there's no better time to taste the flavors of your local markets and see their wonders for yourself. As for me, I'm off to eat my heavenly little bounty:

Abundant Tomato Salad

1 garden tomato, roughly chopped (I used an heirloom brandywine picked from the garden this morning)
1 handful of fresh arugula, ripped into bite sized pieces (from the farmer's market)
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped fine (from the farmer's market, though it wish it were from brother-in-law's garden becuase his garlic is outstanding!)
4 ounces fresh mozarrella (that recipe will come on another day!)

2 tablespoons good olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Toss it all together and let it sit for a bit to meld (10 minutes or so) and eat with some fantastic rustic bread

It's heaven in a bowl.