It’s good to be green!

Thank you for voting us People's Choice & Judge’s Award for best vegetarian chili at the 2009 Great Petaluma Chili Cook-Off. That’s the second year in a row! For those of you who couldn’t make it, it’s a flavorful green chili with a unique spiciness that feels like it's going to burn but doesn’t, and finished with a cilantro cumin crema. And here’s the recipe, which yields about 4 gallons.

So what do you think… do we repeat this again next year or try something new or try for the meat category?

4 lbs White Beans
2 lbs Pasilla Chiles
2 lbs Anaheim Chiles
3 lbs Yellow Onions
8 c Tomatillos
2/3 c Vegetable Oil
1½ T Cumin
1 oz New Mexico Chili Power
1½ T Ground Garlic
3 T Fresh Lime Juice
22 oz Diced Green Chili
22 oz Green Enchilada Sauce
Roasted Vegetable Stock (to cover beans)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Soak beans for 12 to 24 hours; drain thoroughly just before use
Sauté onions, garlic and diced chilies in vegetable oil
Add cumin and chili powder
Cook 5 to 8 minutes (until fragrant)
Add beans
Cover with roasted vegetable stock
Add tomatillos (smashed with juice) and lime juice
Cook over medium heat for 1½ to 2 hours (until beans are tender)
Finish with diced chilies and enchilada sauce.
Serve with a dollop of crema and diced green chilies

Cilantro Cumin Crema
3 c Sour Cream
1 bunch Cilantro Tops
3 T Fresh Lime Juice
2 tsp Cumin
1½ tsp Vegetable Oil
Salt & Pepper

Sauté cumin in oil
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree