Bean Porridge

Bean porridge hot
Bean porridge cold
Bean porridge in the pot nine days old

Some like it hot
Some like it cold
Some like it in the pot nine days old

Last night it was a little windy and overcast, and I smelled fall, so that means out comes the stock pot for some good ole comfort food like soup. I looked around for stuff to make a soup but all I found were bags of dried beans, so I made bean soup that reminds me of my grandparents. Growing up they lived right across the street from me, so I had ample opportunities to visit every day after school and all through the summers. I was telling the boys about all different kinds of food I had eaten at my grandparents house, because they had been listening to The Story of the World for history and were hearing about lizard stew and other interesting foods the early nomads had eaten. I told them about all the seemingly gross foods that I had tried at my grandparents house, and my own. I've had fried rabbit and squirrel, I've had black bird pot pie, sardines and peanut butter together in one sandwich. Mulberry jam, rhubarb pie, livers and onions, and dandelion salad. But one of my favorite comfort meals is large butter beans and ham with a side of cottage cheese and fresh tomato slices. So when I found all those bags of dried beans I knew what we were having much to the dismay of the boys. I really want them to associate these kinds of food as wonderful and homey, something that mom used to do for them when cooler weather was approaching. I also realize that they are not grateful for their food, and get easliy grossed out, so I am determined to change their palettes this winter. I have made the butter beans and ham before and they ate it w/o to much complaint but this looks yuckier, but oh so good.

Here is the recipe for my bean porridge for the brave cooks out there.
1 bag of dried black beans
1 bag of dried kidney beans
1 bag of dried lentils
soak the beans overnight or due the quick soak method, but overnight is better.

You can just use the large dried butter beans

Add 1 sweet onion
3 stalks of chopped celery
3 gloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
then place one of those ham steaks in the pot uncooked and let it simmer with everything until it is cooked, then remove it and cut into pieces to add back into the stock. You could also use leftover ham, but I find it better to cook the ham in with the beans, more flavor.

My pot has been simmering on the stove since lunch and smells good, we are having it for dinner tonight along with some bread since I started to late last night to have it for dinner. I only hope it rains tonight to put me in the mood for soup.