Last week, Jason and I ate out much more than usual. That’s because my in-laws, Pat and Howard, were in town visiting from New Jersey. While they were staying with us, we took them to Wine Country as well as some of our favorite local eateries.
Over the course of seven days, we broke bread at:
- V. Sattui Winery – Jason and I enjoyed a tasting and picnic lunch on their grounds last year and wanted to recreate the experience for Pat and Howard, both of whom were Napa newbies.
- Mustards Grill – We also made a return trip to this “deluxe truck stop.” Jason and I shared the sweet corn tamales and Hunan grilled chicken salad. The appetizer was nothing to write home about, but our entrée hit the spot. A half portion was perfectly filling, especially after a day of sipping and snacking.
- Zuzu – Everything we ordered at this Spanish-inspired restaurant and tapas bar, including the “House Blend” sangria, was exquisite.
- Chef Chu’s – If you’ve never been to this establishment, go just to get a taste of the “Famous Chicken Salad.”
- Pizzeria Delfina – It was risky bringing East Coast natives to a pizza joint; fortunately, they approved of the food.
- Cascal Restaurant – Everyone was craving tapas after our unforgettable meal at Zuzu, so we came here for more!
It was certainly a treat to be waited on, but I was itching to get my hands dirty after our houseguests departed. So on Saturday I whipped up a batch of this hearty and healthy pumpkin turkey chili.
It’s thick, velvety and quite spicy, thanks to the addition of pumpkin purée and a dried ancho chile. (Note: If you’re hankering for a dish with a pronounced squash flavor, look elsewhere.) Serve pumpkin turkey chili with baked potatoes, tortilla chips or slices of sourdough bread.
Special thanks to Jason’s mom for the Original San Francisco sourdough bread featured in this post. It was the perfect vessel for sopping up the stew!
Recipe adapted from Whole Foods Market.
- 1 dried ancho chile
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin purée
- 1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- grated Colby-Jack cheese (for topping, optional)
- thinly sliced green onions (for topping, optional)
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook ancho chile for 1 minute on each side until lightly browned. Then soak in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, remove stem and seeds and put in a food processor.
- In the same pot used to cook the chile, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, leek, bell pepper and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add ground turkey, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned.
- Meanwhile, add 1 cup pumpkin purée to the food processor with the ancho chile and process until smooth. Add to pot along with the remaining pumpkin purée, tomatoes with juice, water, chili powder, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add beans, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with Colby-Jack cheese and green onions, if using.
Wow! This looks amazing!! I’m sure it tastes fantastic 🙂 I would love to cook this for my family this weekend.
Thank you, Mary Frances! Be warned: It’s quite spicy. 🙂