Rethinking
Spring
The word April has a musical ring
compared to March that seemed to order us just to put one foot in front of the
other until we arrived to a more hospitable clime. As the snow finally started
to melt along roadways, robins were seen standing as sentinels along the newly
uncovered edges. With tilted heads they
kept looking for some movement of earth that signaled the thaw underground. But
then it snowed on Easter Sunday!
Now at mid-April, after another
snowstorm, I found myself looking with new appreciation to the leftover ham with
its flavorful bone for bean soup. This traditionally hearty cold weather soup suddenly
seemed most appropriate if not to the season, but certainly to the chill. The
continued cold barely allowed a few snowdrops, crocuses and winter aconite to
peek out from the edge of the snow bank, only a foot from the foundation of our
house.
White
bean and bone soup
Wash and pick over 1 lb white
Northern beans (or ½ lb. Northern beans plus ½ lb. white dried lima beans) and
soak in 2 quarts cold water overnight. [Or you can bring the rinsed beans to
boil for a minute without soaking, turn off the heat and allow to sit while you
start to prepare the rest of the soup.]
Heat a heavy large pot over medium heat and lightly brown the trimmed ham
bone and any large pieces of baked ham trimmings that won’t be used for other
dishes. When the meat is browned, stir in 1 large chopped onion, 4 minced
garlic cloves, 2 chopped stalks of celery with leaves, 2 carrots cut lengthwise
and sliced, a small sprig of tarragon, 1 large bayleaf and a small cheesecloth
bag with 7 cloves, 10 peppercorns and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Add 3-4 quarts
of water, enough to cover the bone, bring to boil and then reduce the heat to
cook at a gentle boil. After 30 minutes, drain the beans, add to the soup and
continue to cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the beans are tender. Remove the ham
bone, any ham trimmings, bayleaf and the cheesecloth bag. For creamier soup
mash some of the beans. Trim off any lean meat and return as small pieces to
the soup. Stir in 2 Tblsp. tomato paste and correct seasoning with salt and
pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread and salad. Soup improves in flavor with
reheating the following day.
The bonus leftovers of a flavorful, clove studded Easter ham that has baked
with a glaze of mustard, brown sugar, currant jam and lemon juice are not to be
underestimated. It makes a wonderful filling for omelette, with mushrooms, red
pepper and scallion and getting back to thoughts of spring, ham and asparagus
make a perfect luncheon dish. Asparagus with Hollandaise is a classic, but mushrooms
in cream sauce give it an unexpected dimension.
Asparagus
and shitake with cream
Wipe ½ -3/4 lb of shitake
mushrooms with a damp paper towel, remove the stems and slice the caps thinly.
Roughly chop the stems and cook for 5 minutes in 1 cup water. When cool, remove
solids by draining through a paper towel, reserve the liquid and reduce by
boiling to ¼ cup. Melt 2 Tblsp. unsalted butter in a pan and quickly sauté 2
chopped shallots until translucent, Stir in the sliced shitake and continue to sauté
for 3-4 minutes, add ½ cup white wine and ½ cup dry vermouth. Continue to cook
until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, stir in the reduced mushroom liquid and
½ cup heavy cream. Cook on low heat until the liquid coats the back of the
spoon. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper and keep warm.
Trim the tough part of 1 lb of asparagus, rinse and cook in salted
boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and drain briefly before
aligning in a shallow serving dish with sides. Cover the stalks crosswise in
the center with the mushroom sauce, sprinkle with chopped fresh tarragon and
serve with slices of warm or cold ham.
Rethinking menus may be practical, but one should not give up hope for
spring.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in
Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00
a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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