A new species of everything

Plus, a slow-cooker chili recipe to warm your winter

Something that’s fun about kids (file that under phrases I never thought I’d use) is the way they absorb words in micro-phases. Jagger went through a hilarious-to-me but graciously brief f-word phase early this year. Then he inexplicably got into adverbs — everything was “totally” or “really” or “definitely.” And now as he learns about animals and other living things, he tells us about all the “new species” he sees. The garbage truck on our block is a new species of car. At the farmers market he wants a new species of apple. The cardinal on the tree, he says, is a new species of bird.

Jagger and Belly check on the garden after a six-inch snowfall.

So he was pretty psyched when our new species of tiny seeds arrived in the mail, fresh from the 2021 seed catalog. You can see the full array below, but we aimed for a mix of staples that we eat all the time (fennel, arugula, cucumber, broccoli) and things we normally eat at restaurants that we’d like to try at home (shishito peppers, baby gem lettuce, shiso, heirloom cress). No tomatoes because the squirrels around here just look like tomato killers, and I don’t want to spend the summer being outsmarted by them. Also, I really don’t like tomatoes. Or maybe I just haven’t found the right new species for me.

What would you want growing in your garden?

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chili

We tagged along with friends to Yaeger’s Farm in Phoenixville as they searched for a cut-your-own Christmas tree. The family-owned farm also maintains a herd of about 40 Black and Red Angus cattle that they butcher for local markets, including their own. We picked up a few packages of ground beef while we were there, which turned out to be the perfect addition to this easy, winter-warming chili recipe. For some underlying zing, I added giardiniera from local picklemaker Dr. Pickle that we love. Next year, maybe some pickled shishitos from our garden.

Slow-Cooker Chili

Serves 8

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 lbs ground beef

1 (26-ounce) container of diced tomatoes (I like Pomi brand)

1 (26-ounce) container of tomato puree (ditto Pomi)

1/2 cup chopped pickled peppers like giardiniera or green chiles

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 (15-ounce) cans of kidney beans

For garnish: Sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced scallions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring. Transfer onion and garlic to the bowl of your slow cooker. Do not clean skillet.

2. Return skillet to medium heat and add beef. Working in batches if necessary, stir until beef browns, about 5-7 minutes. Add it to the slow cooker on top of the onion-garlic mixture.

3. Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato puree on top of the beef. Add the peppers, paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine.

4. Slow-cook on low for 6 hours. Add beans for last 30 minutes of cooking time. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced scallions. Tostitos and beer optional.

Ready for next year’s growing season.

From our home to yours, have a safe and meaningful holiday season. Happy New Year.