Wednesday, April 7, 2010

leftover ham and a head cold

What does one eat when there is a head cold in the family, and the mauled remains of a ham in the fridge?  Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup comes to mind.  That is, veggies in the fridge chopped small -- I had mushrooms, leeks, sweet peppers, hot peppers, leftover spiced carrots, garlic,  and onions.  It can all be chopped, and added to some home made stock from the freezer, or some boxed or canned stock from the pantry.  I am lucky enough to already have herbs from the garden, but dried or frozen herbs will do just as well.  In this case, I used thyme, chives, parsley, and a but of shredded endive.  Into the pot went the stock, a cup of penne noodles, and all of the veggies and herbs, and salt and pepper, with the exception of the chives, parsley, and endive.  That all simmered together merrily until the noodles were al dente, then in went the chive, endive, and chopped ham.

veggies, ham, and noodles in broth

After it is ladeled into bowls, a quick sprinkling of grated parmesan and the parsley enriched the broth and added some color.  The meal was done in under 30 minutes, offered pleasant relief to the symptoms of a head cold, and tasted rich but light.  And it used up some of the ingredients lingering in the fridge.  

A satisfying bowl of soup, fresh and tasty in under 30 minutes

Off to Florida tomorrow!

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