Turkey Chili

The squirrels here have taken a noteworthy turn for the insane. One nearly ran into my leg this morning, nut in cheek. Oddly, I've noticed that Alex and I have begun to exhibit similarly frantic behavior. Saturday morning we left the house for a walk, and we accidentally returned with enough food for a 15-person dinner, plus leftovers to freeze for the winter. It's in the air.

The recipe for turkey chili is not a recipe. It's a method, learned by Alex from the source himself, which means you should let the recipe be more of a guidebook than an instruction manual. It's tradition to make it in the late fall, and it's hot enough to warm the soul as well as the body. It's perfect for both curling up with a bowl, and for serving with beer and guacamole to your favorite people, which makes it truly the most versatile and wonderful dish in our repertoire.

Ingredients (serves 10):
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 bell peppers, chopped
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, chopped
1 large cans chopped tomatoes (the 29 oz. ones)
1 15 oz. can tomato puree
1 large cans black beans
1 large cans red kidney beans
1 large cans pinto beans
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp oregano
6 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
cheese and cilantro for garnish

Instructions:
Saute onions and garlic in 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot for 5 minutes, then add the peppers. Meanwhile, saute turkey in 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Add the turkey to the onion mix, then add the tomatoes, beans and seasoning. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Garnish and serve.