SIMMER, SCOOP, SLURP

Soup making is more art than science.

Baking chocolate cupcakes is science, as anyone who’s added a pinch too much soda knows. And of course entire cookbooks have been devoted to soup recipes (take the title of this post, which is the fictional name of a cookbook I refer to in my upcoming novel)–as though the exact ratio of water to bone really makes that much difference.

No, making soup is more a relationship than a religion. You taste your way into a good pot of soup.

So Mom and I put together a batch only partially following the Mennonite cookbook version some of you might know. Extrapolate on this “recipe” based on what’s in your fridge:

GREEN BEAN SOUP

Combine in pot and simmer till meat is tender:

• 1 meaty ham bone, 1-2 pounds (we used a chunk of ham steak and a couple of links of smoked sausage)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cups cold water

Remove meat and strain through cheesecloth (or just a sieve, as we did), returning broth to pot and add:

• 2-3 cups fresh green beans (or yellow–or even the new purple kind), cut up
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, cubed (better to use baby potatoes and don’t cut too small)
• 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns in spice bag (or a good grinding of pepper straight into the pot)
• Salt to taste

Simmer till veggies are tender, correct the seasoning, then add and simmer another half-hour:

• 4 sprigs summer savory (this time we used a handful of fresh dill instead, just added at the end)

Cut meat from bone and return to the soup.

Serve with thick, yummy farmer’s cream or a scoop of sour cream (or both!) and slurp away.