Ham and Bean Soup

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks again to George in Poughkeepsie for today's food funny.

A young woman really thought she'd been very patient through a
protracted period of dating with no talk of marriage. One night her
steady boyfriend took her to a Chinese restaurant. As he perused the
menu, he casually asked her, "So... how do you like your rice?
Boiled? Or fried?"

Without missing a beat, she looked over her menu at him and replied,
"Thrown."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This soup is about as easy as they come, and you can substitute
leftover turkey for the ham if that's what you happen to have on hand.

Ham and Bean Soup

8 cups (2 L) chicken or turkey stock
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1-2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried marjoram
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 cups (500 ml) chopped cooked ham
2 cans (15 oz, 225 g each) cannellini, white kidney,
or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the stock, vegetables, and herbs in a large pot and bring to a
boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the
vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the ham and beans and
simmer covered for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and
pepper if needed. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Mon Jan 5 21:32:18 2004