Black Bean Chili With Pineapple Salsa

From: Still Life With Menu Cookbook by Molly Katzen

Ingredients for the Chili:

• 4 cups dried black turtle beans (3, 15oz cans will do just as well and saves a lot of time)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 to 6 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• crushed red pepper or cayenne, to taste
• 2 medium-sized green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 to 2 medium Anaheim or pablano chiles minced, or 2 4-ounce cans diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• grated cheese and sour cream, for the topping (optional)
• squeezable wedges of lime

Directions for making the Chili:

1. Soak the beans in plenty of water for several hours or overnight. Drain off the soaking water, and cook in fresh boiling water, partly covered, until tender (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Check the water level during cooking; add more as necessary. Transfer the cooked beans to a large soup pot or saucepan. Include about 2 to 3 cups of their cooking water.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add garlic, seasonings, lime juice, bell peppers and chiles, and saute over medium-low heat until tender (10 to 15 minutes).
3. Add the saute to the cooked beans, along with the tomato puree. Simmer, covered, over very low heat, stirring every now and then, for about 20 minutes. (Make the salsa during this time.)
4. Serve topped with Pineapple Salsa and, if desired, grated cheese and sour cream. Add a wedge of lime to the side.

Ingredients for the Pineapple Salsa:

• 2 cups minced fresh (or canned-in-juice crushed) pineapple
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• cayenne to taste

Directions for making the Pineapple Salsa:

1. Combine everything; cover tightly and refrigerate. This keeps a long time.