Where the chili — and the bowls — are made from scratch

The meal is farm-to-table and the bowls are kiln-to-kitchen. For the Sonoma Community Center’s annual Chili Bowl Express event, everything is handmade.

The annual keep-the-bowl fundraiser happens Saturday, February 20, with 20 restaurants and chefs providing their signature versions of chili. Take your pick – and pick a bowl, too. Artists at the SCC have been busy since October throwing on the potter’s wheel and hand-building unique, one-of-a-kind chili bowls in all shapes, colors, and sizes.

Serving up a range of homemade chili will be: the girl and the fig, Spread Catering, Sonoma Golf Club, Woodfired Napa, Madrone Estate Winery, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar at the Lodge at Sonoma, Sonoma Valley Grange, and Ramekins, with more to come.

Beverages for purchase are provided by Madrone Estate Winery, Lagunitas Brewing Company and Nana Mae’s organic Gravenstein apple juice. There will be three seatings for the event: 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 and include your choice of bowl. Chili and corn bread, live music, light dessert and gallery tours. 707.938.4626 or Sonomacommunitycenter.org.

The Lovin’ Oven’s Chicken Vegetable Chili

 The Lovin’ Oven is a baking and event services program offered by Teen Services Sonoma. It creates and sells delicious food and provides services at parties and special events throughout Sonoma Valley. The program serves as a work-based learning experience for 35 teens each year, preparing them for jobs in the ever-growing hospitality industry. From Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground chicken

1 large onion, diced small

2 carrots, diced small

1 pepper (any color), diced small

2 stalks celery, diced small

1 Tbs. garlic, chopped fine into 1 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 Tbs. ground coriander

3 chipotle chili peppers (canned in adobo sauce), diced small with seeds

2 28-oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

2 Tbs. tomato paste dissolved into 1 cup water

1-2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)

Optional garnishes:

freshly chopped cilantro

diced onions

diced avocado

sour cream

shredded cheese

 

Procedure:

In a large pot, brown chicken. It doesn’t render a lot of fat so no need to pour it off.

Add onions, carrots, pepper and celery one at a time and cook until softened.

Add chopped garlic and dry spices and stir for a minute or two till they smell good.

Add chipotle peppers and stir for a minute or two.

Add tomatoes, dissolved tomato paste and canned beans.

Cook for about 30 minutes.

Add corn and stir until heated through.

 

Garnish with your choice of options