Going back through these photos is making me miss fall so much, especially since all the trees are bare now and everything looks pretty dark and dreary outside. I wish it was possible to trade a month of winter for an extra month of fall, but time just doesn’t work that way. You can’t grab onto a flowing river. That’s something I’ve been realizing more and more lately, how quickly time goes by. I think it’s made worse by how busy I’ve been this year (see: not getting my autumn post up until winter), it seems like the more I pack into one day the more quickly it passes me by. Warm memories like these are a stake in the river, though; they always take you back to that place, that moment, and let it wash over you. So even though the days are short and dark and everything in my garden looks blackened and dead, I can still look back through these photos and remember brighter, more colorful days and good food shared with friends.
Butternut Squash Chili
-
1
pound
pork sausage -
2
pounds
butternut squash
cubed -
32
ounces
vegetable stock -
2
tablespoons
tomato paste -
2
teaspoons
salt -
1
teaspoon
cumin -
1
teaspoon
chili flakes -
1/2
teaspoon
arbor chili powder -
1/2
teaspoon
turmeric -
2
cans cannellini beans
rinsed -
1
can kidney beans
rinsed -
1/4
cup
toasted pumpkin seeds
-
Remove half the pork sausage from their casings and set them aside. Cook the remaining whole sausage links in a cast iron pan over a small campfire, or on the stovetop at medium heat, until the skin is crispy and the sausage is cooked through. Remove, allow to cool, and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Set aside.
-
Place the ground sausage in the pan and sauté over the fire until nearly cooked through, stirring every minute. Add the squash, vegetable stock, tomato paste, salt, cumin, chili flakes, chili powder, and turmeric and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for 15 minutes covered, then remove the lid and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes, adding the rinsed beans and sliced cooked sausage during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before sprinkling with the toasted pumpkin seeds and serving.
