Soup!

Mike's mom and sister sent us a honey baked ham for Christmas. Abigail doesn't really eat ham so I cut it off the bone and packed it into individual freezer bags. I boiled the ham bone in water for a few hours and after cooling it placed the stock pot into the refrigerator. The next day there was a thick white layer of fat of top of the broth that came off in one piece and reminded me of a pie crust. The broth was wonderfully clear and I used this to make soup! Here's my soup "recipe". This is definitely one of those times to use this as a guideline and to take off from it and use your own ideas and ingredients. Try split peas, different vegetables or leftovers. Add beer instead of white wine. Use oregano in place of thyme-the variations are endless. Have fun with it. I meant to add chopped swiss chard at the last minute. I forgot. This made alot of soup and I will probably add it tomorrow or the next time we have this soup. Kale would also be a good choice.

Post Christmas Ham Soup

homemade ham broth
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, cored and pressed
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
1-2 cups dry white wine
leftover roasted kabocha squash
~4-6 ounces sliced ham, chopped
1 pound Snow Cap beans, soaked, cooked and drained
2 teaspoons dried thyme
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in large saute pan until hot over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook approximately 2 minutes. Cook carrots and celery with onions and garlic for about 2-3 minutes until flavors start to meld and the vegetables begin to soften. Add wine and bring to boil loosening any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let boil for about 5 minutes until the liquid begins to evaporate and thickens.

Add this mixture to the ham broth and bring to a low simmer, adding the cooked squash, ham and beans to the soup. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 1 hour. This is great made ahead and allowed to sit over night before eating. Serve it with crusty bread and white wine or cornbread and beer-your choice! Enjoy!