Ham Bone Soup w/ Beans

I usually make this hearty soup every spring after Easter dinner, but it is also the ideal fall warm up!! You know the routine, you get the spiral ham and then you have this meaty ham bone left over. What to do? Make Ham Bone Soup with Beans. This recipe is based off of the NY Times recipe because their picture looked good and the recipe was a little different than my standard go-to recipe. It was a bit of a risk as it called for “kale.” Leigh is not a great fan of kale but I took her standard answer “Follow your heart.” So here it is!

Ingredients:

  • 4 strips bacon, thick cut, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 ham bone 1 1/4 pounds, cut in half or in thirds – ask your butcher to do this
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt, plus additional to taste
  • ½ head green cabbage, shredded about 8 cup s
  • 3 cups cooked beans rinsed and drained if canned, such as cannellini, navy or pinto
  • 1 small bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces 6 cups
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce or apple cider vinegar, to taste

Preparation:

  • Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pot. Stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Drop in the ham bone and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Stir in the cabbage and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the kale and simmer until soft, but vibrantly green, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste). Add lots of pepper and a dash of hot sauce or vinegar. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.
Ham Bone Soup w/Beans

Famous Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins!

Leigh loves all things blueberry and I’ve been telling her that I would make her some blueberry muffins for a few weeks now. The wait is over! I came across this recipe at King Arthur Baking. These muffins are a re-creation of the “The Famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins.” They have a crisp and flaky top, moist body and are delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh preferred
  • 1/4 cup sugar, for topping

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin; or line the tin with papers, and grease the papers.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and beating well after each addition.
  • Beat in the baking powder, salt, and vanilla.
  • Add the flour alternately with the milk, beating gently just to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
  • Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Add the mashed and whole berries to the batter, stirring just to combine and distribute.
  • Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
  • Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon granulated sugar atop each muffin, if desired. It’s traditional.
    • I tired 1 tsp of sugar each and 1/2 tsp each and would recommend going with one whole tsp.
  • Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until they’re light golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
  • Remove the muffins from the oven, loosen their edges from the pan, and after about 5 minutes transfer them to a rack to cool.
Fresh Out of the Oven Blueberry Muffins!