Ohio’s Own: Farmhouse Chili

 December 24, 2014 10:53 am

Chili season has arrived.

And while buying chicken noodle soup off the shelves of a grocery store has been an agreeable option, the ready-made chili-in-a-can has always seemed sorta suspect; like cat food or something.

Still, it took zero seconds of hesitation to give a big old container of Farmhouse Chili a whirl. First, because it’s sold in a glass jar. You can see the insides through the glass, and they look safe and tomatoey. Second, the label is cute. Third, it’s made in Ohio by something called The Gourmet Farm Girl. It seems like a safe bet that a gourmet farm person would not sell cat food labeled as chili.

Right out of the jar, it’s great. The chili has a vaguely smoky aromatic accent and a nice thick melange of beans and tomatoes. After a bite or two, you start to notice: wait, there’s no meat in there. Indeed, the label lists a series of items, including: tomatoes, pinto and kidney beans, onion, chili powder, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic. None of those things are animals.

Although vegans might be satisfied, as-is, the Farm Girl does suggest the possible addition of cooked ground meat. So, back to the lab with two pounds of ground turkey. The experiment with that addition (and salt) was successful. It’s a good chili and more complex and interesting than one I can typically make.

The chili comes in several other versions: Midwest Sweet Corn Chili, Garden Harvest Chili (with a variety of vegetables) and Spicy Bean. A 32 ounce contain of the chili will set you back about eight bucks.

The Gourmet Farm Girl brand expands well beyond chili. It also offers olive oils, balsamic vinegar, seasoning blends and soup mixes. You can find Gourmet Farm Girl products at local gourmet grocers such as Lucky’s, Weiland’s and The Hills.

For more information, visit www.thegourmetfarmgirl.com.

About the Author

Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.