brendan's ham and cabbage soup

On a cold winter night, grab your favourite book, a cozy blanket and cuddle up to a steaming bowl of ham and cabbage soup.

Ingredients:
Bay leaves
Cabbage
Potatoes
2 medium onions
Leftover vegetable odds and ends
Leftover holiday ham including the bone
Secret Ingredients 1, 2, 3 and 4
Vinegar (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

step one:
I save the stems and ends of veggies in little freezer bags until I have enough to make a good soup stock. Boil the leftover vegetable odds and ends. I used the stems of asparagus, broccoli and spinach. Save the onions for step three. Also place in secret ingredients 1 and 2. Add salt and boil for 30-45 minutes. Drain the stock into a separate bowl through a sieve. Make sure to squeeze the veggies to get all the juice out.

step two: (Vegetarians: add vegetable stock for flavour)
Pour the stock back into the pot and add the ham bone and any leftover meat. Add secret ingredient #3. Boil for 30-45 minutes again. Drain the stock into a separate bowl. When the meat has cooled, pick the meat off the bones and place in a separate dish. Let the stock cool and then skim off most of the fat. leave some in for flavour.

step three:
Place stock back into the stockpot. Add the pieces of ham, diced onions, secret ingredient #3 and #4, chopped cabbage and diced potatoes. Boil until the cabbage and potatoes are soft. Add vinegar to taste. Enjoy.

Oh, and if you want to know the secret ingredients, email me.

Interesting: read about the Hambone dance.