My New Herb Garden

It was a brilliant day outside today, and I spent the morning adding some slats to the fence in our front yard. Our yard abuts a parking lot so we wanted to restrict the view of it a bit more. When I was done I had lots of scraps from the cedar planking. I was wondering if I should save it when I had an idea. My herb garden (struggling in the heat and being eaten by insects) was in two 30" planters just on the ground by the front steps. I decided to use a few old 2x4s from the garage and the trimmings from the fence slats and make a kind of table for them. In part because I just bought a nail gun, and enjoy playing with my new toy! The table is 18" deep and 31" wide. I bought some cedar legs but all the rest was scrap lumber. I'm no carpenter but I'm pleased with how it turned out. Now if I can just get my cilantro to grow....

Irish Chili

Last year my wife's company (Kroger, the grocery chain) invited staff to bring in chili for the staff. It was not a "cook off" but bragging rights were definitely on the line. I wanted to do something different. I'd been toying with making Guinness ice cream and thought, how about a chili built around Guinness? A sort of "Irish" chili if you will. So here it is, my recipe for Irish Chili.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of pot roast or beef shoulder
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 cups beef stock

1 pound starchy potatoes cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 pound carrots, chopped
3/4 tbsp black pepper corns, freshly ground
2-3 big sprigs of rosemary
2-3 bay leaves
2 14oz cans of black beans
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 15oz can of Guinness Extra Stout
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese


Trim the beef and cut into 1" pieces. Save the trimmings. In a dutch oven put 2 tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. Working in batches, season and brown the meat, then put aside. Place all the trimmings back in the pot. Cook until all the fat has rendered out, about 10 min. The trimmings should be nice and crispy. Remove the scraps (if you have a dog, save them for your pooch). Put the onion, celery and carrot in the pot and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1/3 of the can of Guinness, and 2 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Add the beef, potatoes, black pepper, rosemary and bay leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the garlic, beans, Worcestershire and 1/3 can of Guinness. Drink the remainder of the beer. Add more beef stock if needed. Simmer for as long as you can stand it, but at least another 30 minutes. Longer is better.

I like to serve it with a little shredded cheddar on top and some pan toasted bread. I put a little olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat and toast the bread until golden brown and crunchy. Sprinkle the bread with a little salty before serving (I don't use much salt in general but this is one of those places where a sprinkle is critical).