Saving Civilization - One Dinner at a Time

Sometimes the Irish can save civilization. Sometimes it's all they can do to rustle up dinner.
Technically, according to my biological parents history and DNA I don't have a drop of Irish blood in me, but there is a lot of English and Scot heritage there.

So I'm all up for a warm bowl of a hearty soup or stew.

Especially when it was a long day. . . .

Still, duty calls, reports to write.

Probie comes over, a puzzled luck on his face, looking at a document I'd just finished.

"uh, doc. . . WHAT'S RIGOR MORRIS?"

I look up straightfaced (Typo? Me??") . . "DEAD CAT FOUND AT THE SCENE."

It was just one of those days, So I was glad to get home for something nourishing. Tonight, no guns, no glory, just some really good leftover soup and some fresh baked bread. To make - caramelise a large diced onion in a pan with a splash of olive oil, add 4 ribs of chopped celery and about six sliced carrots and cook for a couple of minutes. Put in a crockpot with 1 and 1/2 lbs smoked ham hocks, a pound of uncooked and rinsed white beans, 2 quarts fresh chicken stock, a pinch of rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper,a large clove of garlic cut crosswise, a dash of hot sauce (I like Heavy Metal Heat by the Scoville Bros.), 1/4 teaspoon wild honey and 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus a couple dashes of salt (to taste). Cook on high for 4-5 hours, until beans are done, remove any remaining stems of thyme, squeeze garlic to remove pulp, discarding the skins and stir into soup. Remove hocks and shred meat. Take a 1/2 cup of the bean mixture and pulse in a blender and stir back in with ham hocks.

Note:  Please follow the directions if you plan to repost.  I had a reader years ago, the first time I posted another soup recipe with sausage make it using a completely different kind of bean, different meat, different seasonings (leaving out the key one) and then actually posted it on social media that he "made Brigid's recipe and it was just OK".  Please, friends, NO.

With that, some quick bread.


Cheddar Peppered Biscuit Bites. Full of the bite of fresh cracked pepper and sharp cheese, they're baked in little triangles for little bite size bits of crunch with a soft, fragrant center.

Serve warm with butter , the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of old fashioned soup, stew, or even chili.

For now, enjoy the comforts of home.