Taren Ferry Pumpkin Chili
Greetings food adventurers! Tonight we spend the cold and snowy New Year’s Eve at a warm inn in the small town of Taren Ferry (Wheel of Time). The inkeeper’s dinner special is a hearty pumpkin chili, featuring the locally brewed winter ale and some beautiful winter squash.
This town is named after the ferry that brings travelers and traders across the Taren River to the communities of the Two Rivers, including Emond’s Field, Watch Hill, and Baerlon. As a major trading spot – and the only way to cross the river – Taren Ferry boasts that they have THREE inns! We chose the one with the best food, obviously. No gleemen for entertainment tonight; there is only a small crowd who chose to travel during the winter. We are all likely stuck here for several days based on the snow storm that just moved into the area. Fortunately for us, the Redstone Inn features a small library, games of stones or snakes & foxes, and cozy chairs. We have toasty warm fireplaces and huge stacks of firewood, and plenty of good food. The kitchen is well-stocked with tea or brown ale. It’s a nice place for a pause from the world.
This chili recipe is very versatile, so if you want to change up ingredients, go for it. Fresh tomatoes are ideal, but in the winter I use frozen ones. (during the summer, you can put whole washed tomatoes in ziploc bags in the freezer and just use them whole in soups, stews, and chili – no thawing or dicing needed!) The pumpkin can be homemade puree or canned, or swap it out for pureed acorn squash. The pumpkin lends plenty of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. The chili tastes like chili, not pumpkin, so it is an easy way to sneak more veggies into your diet, especially during winter when local veggies may be less plentiful. Even the beer can be swapped out; use any kind you like, or go non-alcoholic and replace it with an additional cup of broth. The Two Rivers folks don’t have this option, but at home I like to serve this with a big pile of Fritos.
Inspired by The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. Taren Ferry is featured in the Wheel of Time TV show in season 1, episode 2 (although we don’t get to see the cozy inns).
Taren Ferry Pumpkin Chili
Special Equipment
- Dutch oven pot
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup broth any kind
- 1 cup dark beer just shy of a bottle – brown ale or stout are excellent here (replace with an extra cup of broth for non-alcoholic version)
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée (or a 15-oz can)
- 3 cups diced fresh tomatoes or large can of diced tomatoes (see note)
- 2 15-oz cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp table salt (adjust depending on your broth!)
For serving:
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (optional)
- Fritos, tortilla chips, or saltine crackers (optional)
Instructions
- Heat Dutch oven pot to medium. Add oil.
- Cook ground beef until fully cooked (browned and no longer pink). Drain off the fat if it looks fatty.
- Move the ground beef to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Deglaze the pot with just a bit of the beer, keeping the heat on medium.
- Add onions, stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add carrots, cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- MEANWHILE in a small bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the mixed spices to the pot and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add broth to the pot and stir.
- Next add the beer, pumpkin, beans, and tomatoes. Stir.
- Add the cooked ground beef back to the pot. Stir again. Lots of stirring.
- Let simmer 20 minutes to let the flavors blend.
- Taste for seasoning – stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt at a time until it tastes like the right amount. Salt levels will vary depending on what type of broth you use.
- Serve hot, with cheese and/or chips if desired.
