The Recipe Box

The freezer's packed, and the vegetable drawer needs some room made, and so I present...

Fridge Cleaner Ham-n-Bean Soup:

1 pound dried beans - soaked, washed, and picked
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 head chopped garlic
1 small white onion, chopped
1 cup carrots with skin on, sliced thin
1 cup of celery, sliced thin
1 large, meaty ham bone
2 quarts of liquid - I used 1 quart of chicken stock and 1 quart of vegetable stock.
2 tablespoons of coarse-ground prepared mustard
Bay leaves (I used three small ones)
1 cup diced potato - optional

In a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring constantly until the onion is translucent. Add the ham bone, beans, mustard and bay leaves, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender and the meat is falling off the ham bone. If you're adding the potato, do it about 45 minutes after you start the simmer.

If you need to add more liquid, try using a flavorful ale or porter, it's delish!

Remove the bone, chop the meat and add it back to the soup, then serve.

I'm serving this with my favorite bread recipe - from the New York Times and never-ever-fails:

( OMNOMNOMNOM )

Read the article or just read the recipe.

Variations: I use my own home-roasted coffee, sans chicory, and the half-gallon will last me two weeks. Stirred up with milk and bittersweet chocolate syrup, it's a party in a glass.

New Orleans Cold Drip Coffee

Adapted from Blue Bottle Coffee company

Makes 8 cups coffee concentrate

1 pound dark roast coffee and chicory, medium ground

10 cups cold water

Ice

Milk.

1. Put coffee in a nonreactive container, like a stainless-steel stockpot. Add 2 cups water, stirring gently to wet the grounds, then add remaining 8 cups water, agitating the grounds as little as possible. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 12 hours.

2. Strain coffee concentrate through a medium sieve, then again through a fine-mesh sieve.

3. To make iced coffee, fill a glass with ice, add ¼ cup coffee concentrate and 3/4 to 1 cup milk, then stir. To make café au lait, warm 3/4 to 1 cup milk in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into a mug and add ¼ cup coffee concentrate. (Concentrate will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

Note: Coffee with chicory may be ordered through French Market (www.frenchmarketcoffee.com) or Blue Bottle (www.bluebottlecoffee.net)