A dusting of white snow shocked me this morning as I approached my baby tomato seeds. Each morning I check on their progress. I bet today, the warm-and-toasty seedlings appreciated the added warmth from the Christmas Tree Lights. Last night, Old Man Winter blew through the Atlanta area leaving a scattering of snow.
Merciful heavens, doesn’t Mr. Winter know we don’t “do” snow here in the ATL?
So today, with the wind gusts whipping the pines, I opted to cook up a bowl of hearty potato soup. Potato soup is a quick and satisfying meal. Seasoned with ham scraps I keep frozen, curling your hands around a bowl of this scrumptious dish is satisfying.
Ingredients:
Three large potatoes (baking potatoes will do)
2 Tablespoons plain flour
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
Pieces of ham (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chop potatoes into bite size pieces. Don’t forget to add a dash of salt.
The Process:
Peel potatoes then chop them into bite size pieces. Cook in saucepan with approximately one quart of water (or enough to cover the potatoes). Add 1 teaspoon of salt during this process. Boil potatoes until you can stick them with a fork. Taste for doneness.
While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add flour and stir well then add one cup of milk and stir well.
Image of rue. Add this to the potatoes after they are completely cooked.
Incorporating this “rue” makes a thick, rich soup.
If necessary, drain the potatoes and then add the rue and one cup of additional milk.
Stir gently to prevent sticking.
Chop ham and add to soup.
Note: to maintain the texture of the ham, add it at the end of the cooking process.
Save tiny pieces of your Christmas or Easter ham. Use them to season soup and beans. Yum !
Garnish with cheese and enjoy.
Potato soup. The perfect one-dish meal for those unexpected snow days.
Renea Winchester is the award-winning author of In the Garden with Billy: Lessons About Life, Love & Tomatoes. In 2012 she released Stress-Free Marketing: Practical Advice for the Newly Published Author. 2014 will see the release of In the Kitchen with Billy: Farming, Friends & Fried Bologna Sandwiches. She is currently working on her first novel. She would love to hear from you. Visit her at www.reneawinchester.com
