Bean Soup

Thickness of your soup will depend how much stock you add.

Good bean soup requires several important steps. The first is preparing a great ham base. See my post for December 25, 2009 or click here: Kitchen Bounty: Soup Base for Ham, Pea, and Lentil Soup

Second is soaking the beans overnight. DO NOT ATTEMPT to make bean soup without this important step unless you wish to contribute to the depletion of the planet's ozone layer due to uncontrolled gases! I put my beans in a colander and then place that in a large bowl and fill it with water several hours before going to bed. Then I lift out the colander, throw out the water, rinse the beans, and fill the bowl with water yet again. I do this several times. It will make your beans much more "friendly."

I love sweet vermouth with bean soup. Somewhere I have a recipe from a monastery where the monk uses vermouth in a turkey/rice soup. An entire cup! Sweet vermouth is like the taste of autumn and complements the soup. Begin with less, if you are nervous. You may omit it. If you do, just add more stock.

It's important to let the soup simmer for several hours (the alcohol will dissipate leaving the lovely sweet vermouth tastes) and even more important to taste it periodically. Keep some extra ham stock on hand (or a can of chicken stock) to add if the soup becomes too thick.

Like most soups, this improves with age and is even better the next day. I like to sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese on top of each bowl when I serve it. I always served a pot of this soup at my autumn open house at my art studio along with apple crisp. They were both always a smashing hit.

• 1, 16-ounce package dried navy beans
• 4-5 cups ham stock
• 1, 14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes, broken apart, including the juice
• 1 cup sweet vermouth (see notes above)
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 heaping teaspoons minced, fresh garlic
• 1-2 cups chopped ham
• 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• Additional stock
• 1 smoked ham hock or ham shank, rinsed
• 2 whole cloves (optional) each tied with a thin piece thin of twine (to make it easy to remove)
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine the soaked beans, stock, veggies, ham and seasonings in a large stockpot and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for two hours.

After two hours, taste for seasonings. Add the ham hock or ham shank, the cloves and a pinch or two of the red pepper flakes if desired. Stir. Add more stock if necessary. Cover and continue to simmer for another hour or two, longer if you have the time. After several hours, remove the cloves, the bay leaf, and the ham hock or shank. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

I never add salt to a ham-based dish since ham is usually pretty salty to begin with. If you don't have extra ham for the soup, have the deli counter cut you several one-half inch slices. "Ham Off the Bone" is a common deli cut that works well.

You might also enjoy my easy-ham-and-bean-soup!

Soup Base for Ham, Pea, and Lentil Soup

Winter is SOUP TIME! I always make a ham base for my bean soups. It's really quite easy and makes all the difference, especially since one doesn't always just happen to have a "ham bone" on hand.

• 2-3 pounds smoked ham shanks or smoked ham hocks or smoked ham neck and back bones or a combination
  
• 1 onion roughly cut
• 2-3 whole cloves
• 1-2 carrots, cut into fourths
• 1-2 celery stalks, cut into fourths
• about six cups of water
  

Rinse the ham "parts" really well and place into a stock pot. Fill with water and swirl then drain to clean bones even more. Add the rest of the ingredients and add water until covered. Bring to a SLOW boil and then immediately lower to a simmer. Skim off foam. Cover and simmer for 8 hours. I usually put it on the stove before I go to bed. An electric stove works best for this. You will get a clearer stock if it doesn't boil.

When cool enough to handle, strain through a colander. And then strain through a sieve. You'll have a rich broth with which to make soup. Place in the refrigerator overnight and remove the fat that rises to the top. You'll be left with a very rich and gelatinous stock with which to make a great bean soup. You can store this in the freezer. I like to use 3-4 cup tupperware-like containers.

Recipe for bean soup is here: Kitchen Bounty: Bean Soup

Apple Crisp

I probably make apple crisp more often than apple pie simply because it's easier. If you have my first book of essays, "Appreciating the Simple," I've written on the "art" of apple-pie making. If not, I'll summarize here: Please, use a variety of apples for the best taste, always including one or two Red/Gold Delicious (the exception, I think, are Honey Crisps). Lemon juice brings out the taste of the apples; you don't need much. A bit of allspice added to cinnamon makes the best apples. If the apples are tart, use more sugar; if sweet, use less. Keep your apples stored in a cool place or they will begin to go soft and grainy. Bring to room temperature before slicing.

(FYI: Here in the states, we make the crisp using raw apples. In England and most of Europe, they begin with a quick sauté  in a shallow pan to soften them up. Something to think about, since it allows you the choice to add seasonings to taste as you go.)

I like this recipe because the topping uses melted butter as opposed to the more familiar whole butter one must work into the ingredients. It produces a "crisp" crisp with a bit of crunch even the next day (if it lasts that long). The combination of baking powder and soda causes the "crisp" to rise a bit and brown.

To be truthful, I always use apple-pie spice. I think it is the tastiest. And it's what my would have used ...

8-10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced*
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons water

Topping
1 cup "old fashioned" oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup butter, melted

*There's really no need to "core" apples unless you are planning to stuff them. Simply peel and begin slicing around and as near the core as possible. Slice into desired thicknesses. If the apples are crisp, make your slices thinner; if the apples are soft, make the slices thicker otherwise they will bake into applesauce.

Place sliced apples into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and vanilla. Toss. Mix the flour, white sugar and spices together. Mix into apples and toss until well coated.

Spray or butter a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Evenly spread out the apples. Sprinkle with the water. (Here's what I do: run your hand under cold water and shake/sprinkle it over the apples. Do this several times. Works like a charm.) You don't want a lot of water, just enough to make a nice "syrup" when they bake.

Mix the topping ingredients until crumbly. Evenly spread over the apples. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Check the center to see if the apples are done. If not, cover with foil and return to oven for about 10 more minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe is easily halved. Place in an 8 x 8 pan or dish. Make sure you use Quaker Oats that reads "old fashioned" on the front. I've used the quick oats but you won't get as crisp a crust.

Crescent Roll Cheese Cake Squares (Easy Mexican Sopapilla)

Served warm from the oven or chilled from the fridge, these easy-to-prepare cheese squares
are destined to hit the bull's-eye-of-approval from family and friend.

I wasn't really sure what to call this. Or how to categorize it. I used to make a similar recipe years ago that was simply dusted with powdered sugar. I prepared this one for the usual Sunday morning "surprise." Served warm it's wonderful. Refrigerated, it's even better. The recipe is easily halved. It's now possible to buy crescent rolls in a single sheet instead of being perforated to separate into rolls.

The cream cheese is absorbed into the flaky pastry leaving a wonderful custard-like middle. The sugar topping provides just the right amount of "crunch."

FILLING

• 1, 8-ounce pacakage softened cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 8 ounce packages refrigerated crescent rolls

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup melted butter (you won't use it all)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Beat the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Unroll one package of crescent rolls and roll to fit into the pan. If using the non-perforated kind, it is already shaped to fit. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the layer and top with the remaining sheet of dough.

Stir together the sugar and cinnamon.

Liberally brush the top layer with the melted butter. When you think it's too much, brush with more. Evenly sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes until the dough has puffed and the corners are golden brown and sugar has absorbed the butter and is a solid crisp layer. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in refrigerator.