People who've never tasted a good fresh locally grown tomato have no frame of reference. I grew up in Jersey, adjacent to a farm that grew Jersey corn and tomatoes, among other things. We used to eat those like apples. I remember my buddy carrying around a single shaker with a salt and pepper mix inside just for the occasion.

It's amazing how mass distribution has managed to drain the tomato flavor from tomatoes, and how people generally don't know the difference.

---

The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

I've tried a smokier version with chipotle peppers and it does add a nice element. I'll have to give the cocoa powder version a try. I tweak my recipe slightly now and then, but this is the basic starting point:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2+ cups coarsely chopped onion
• 2 diced jalapeño peppers (use Serrano peppers for hotter chili)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 ½ lbs. ground beef (or mix ground hot Italian sausage & ground beef in 1:3 ratio—I prefer this combo)
• 3 tbsp chili powder (initially; add more later to taste, 20-30 minutes prior to serving)
• 1 large can, 28oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can diced tomatoes
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp celery salt (I've since used just a sprinkle, could be omitted entirely)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 cup brown sugar (add more to taste as chili cooks)
• 2 15oz cans cooked dark red kidney beans
• Splash of red wine

1. Cook onions, garlic, hot pepper in oil; add meat until brown. Drain most of fat.
2. Simmer in 1/4 cup red wine.
3. Add chili powder, mix.
4. Add tomatoes, spices, brown sugar, beans.
5. Let simmer on med-low for 1 1/2 hrs, stirring frequently.
6. Top with sour cream, diced scallions, sharp cheddar cheese.

---

The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Really. Canned tomatoes are vine ripened. They do not have to be shipped far and get processed quickly, I've done the same when I grow too many. Not worth it.

Definitely worth growing for in season fresh tomatoes though. In fact, I don't even buy tomatoes the rest of the year.

I use a mixture of beans - dark red, light red, black, whatever looks good when I buy them.
1:3 ratio of sausage to ground beef
sometimes I'll throw in some steak, which is always well received (I'll grab some extras if on sale for this reason).