COTTAGE VERSION OF HOUSE OF FLAVORS LUDINGTON MI TURKEY GREEN CHILE

House of Flavors is our kind of restaurant as it is attached to an ice cream producer. They have all kinds of food and visible from the kitchen, a big turkey roasting on a spit. I always have the Turkey Green Chile.

Soups and chiles are a very personal-type of recipe. You add as much or little of the ingredients that you and your family like. They can be made brothy or thick like chile. A soup or chile recipe is really just a guide.

During World War II, the government published booklets to help people get the most of the food because it was all rationed. It was recommended that all the liquid used to cook vegetables and potatoes be saved in a jar in the refrigerator so it was available to use in soup. Soups were frequently made on wash day with all the left-overs in the refrigerator.

In the 1940’s, wash day involved a ringer washing machine, two big laundry tubs for a double rinse, stairs to climb out of the basement to the laundry lines, pinning with clothes pins each wet garment, towel and sheet to the line, heavy poles used to hold the full laundry lines from hanging on the ground, then removing clothes from the line and folding them. Soup was a wonderful thing to have on the back of the stove to feed the family.

HOUSE OF FLAVORS LUDINGTON MI TURKEY GREEN CHILE
1 lb. dried pinto beans, I used Peruano beans, a variety of pinto
6 c water
6 c hot turkey stock (or chicken)
2 to 3 onions, chopped
5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped, or more if desired
1 t ground cumin
8 oz. green chiles, diced
1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
Approximately 4 c diced cooked turkey or chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Monterey Jack cheese or pepper cheese, grated for garnish

Soak beans overnight or use quick soak method available under Michigan Bean Scrubbies. After soaking, drain water or use it to cook the beans. If draining, add 6 cups of hot water to the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer a couple of hours until beans are tender. For a thick chile, like House of Flavors, drain bean liquid. For a brothy chile, do not drain liquid just add the rest of the ingredients to the beans. Saute onions, garlic, bell pepper and Jalapeno pepper in a little bit of canola oil until wilted but not browned. Sprinkle over sautéed mixture and stir. Add to bean pot with hot turkey stock, green chiles and corn. Cook for approximately an hour or until flavors have combined. Add cooked turkey and season to taste. Serve with grated cheese flowed on top.

Bean liquid was not drained so this is a brothy chile.