Although I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, per se, I do usually think of a few things to focus on as I reestablish the routine after the holidays.  I almost always have a theme going that I try to live by or adopt as a plumb line.  These themes are not necessarily started or stopped on a yearly basis on January 1^st.  In the past, some of my themes for a season have been “just say no,” “edit,” “be grateful,” and “stop and smell the roses.”  My current theme is “keep it simple” but I’m also concentrating on eliminating clutter because, whether it is a pile of old magazines, clothes I never wear or mind clutter, it most definitely gets in the way of simplifying everything. 

During the holidays, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was suddenly overcome with the need to clean out the refrigerator one morning.  Am I the only person who doesn’t have room in my refrigerator for actual food because of all the condiments?  It felt so good to get rid of all those odd shaped jars and bottles with a spoonful of sauce, chutney, jam, or other yummy concoction that I haven’t used in I can’t remember how long.  It was wonderful to put food in the refrigerator and take things out without the usual rubric’s cube rearranging of everything.  I am endeavoring to keep the fridge clutter-free so that when we open the door to see what there is to eat, we will actually see food.  It is amazing how happy this made me and how it simplified my daily life!

I have gone through many phases in my many years of being head chef of our family.  For many years, I planned a monthly menu, I have cooked multiple meals in one day and at times kept a super organized freezer.  Sometimes, when I’m thinking ahead, I make double batches to save for another time.  I’ve also had times when I figure things out an hour before dinner on a regular basis and I am often fond of “do it yourself” dinners where everyone just figures something out for themselves.

In honor of my “keep it simple” theme, I have decided to simplify our meals and my grocery shopping.  It could also be the weather, but I am in the mood for peasant food lately; soups, stews, and savory casseroles for dinner.  Crockpot and one dish meals are very simple.  I can prepare these meals in the morning or afternoon and the house smells wonderful all day long.  Once a week I have been buying a large piece of meat like a turkey, roast beef, brisket, or whole chickens and then I make several meals out of the leftovers; some to have during the week and some to freeze for later.   

Since we had a ham for New Year’s day, I have been making all things ham this week.  We had the ham, black eyed peas, mustard greens and corn bread on Saturday.  On Sunday, we had a scalloped potato and ham casserole.  We had a chicken and pasta dish on Monday and, on Tuesday, we had leftover everything.  One more ham meal tonight and the rest I have put up in the freezer for a few meals in the coming months.

Right now there is a ham bone simmering with peppercorns, cloves and a few bay leaves on my stove.  It smells wonderful!  I soaked navy beans last night and will be making my version of an historical meal tonight.   We are having the United States Senate’s Navy bean soup.   I have been making this for years and remember the first time I looked for a recipe in my Joy of Cooking.  This was before the internet and Google.   I like cookbooks and recipes with stories and I think of this everytime I make bean soup. 

This is one of the versions  (and my favorite one) of the story behind the history of the U.S. Senate’s bean soup.

“Senate Bean Soup, prepared with traditional early American ingredients of dried white pea beans, onions, and a ham bone, has been on the menu in the United States Senate restaurant since the early 20th century, possibly longer. It is the most popular item on the menu and is usually recommended by members of Congress when entertaining guests there for the first time.

Bean soup, a favorite of Speaker of the House, Joseph G. Cannon (1836–1926) of Illinois, was omitted from the menu on one hot, humid day in 1904. When speaker Cannon arrived for lunch and learned he could not order it, he was more than a little upset. “Thunderation!” roared the speaker. “I had my mind set for bean soup. From now on, hot or cold, rain, snow, or shine, I want it on the menu every day.”

A resolution was introduced in 1907 by Senator Knute Nellson of Minnesota, chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, that decreed that while the Senate is in session, no day shall pass without Senate Bean Soup. From that time on, Senate Bean soup has appeared on the menu in all eleven Congressional dining rooms every single day, regardless of the weather. This tradition has endured for over 100 years.”

Now, who can argue with that?  Congress keeping it simple! 

I won’t be serving bean soup every day but I will be serving simple meals made from a few whole foods.  

I will also be using the word “THUNDERATION” just as soon as I need an exclamation.

Here is my official recipe and a link to the U.S. Senate recipe:  www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/bean_soup.htm

1 package dry navy beans, soaked overnight in large pot of water

2 bay leaves

8 whole peppercorns

6 whole cloves

Ham bone & meat scraps and 6-8 cups water

**or 2 boxes chicken or vegetable broth

1-2 cups cooked ham, diced (*omit for veggie version)

Olive oil and butter

1 onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped with leaves

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 – 1 ½ cups whole milk

If using a ham for stock, remove all the tender meat for sandwiches or casseroles and place the ham bone and trimmings in large soup pot.  Cover with 6 – 8 cups of water, add bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves and simmer for 2-3 hours.  Strain liquid and chill overnight if you can or use a fat separator.  I like do this step without the beans so that I can remove any fat.  This is also really good made with chicken broth or vegetable broth; use bay leaves, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of cloves.

Soak beans overnight, strain and rinse just before adding to the soup.

Sauté onion, celery and garlic in a little olive oil and butter.  Add carrots and toss for a minute or two.  Add 6-8 cups of ham, chicken or vegetable stock and beans.  Simmer for 2-3 hours.  When the beans are tender, add the milk and chopped ham.  I always add my meat at the end so it is tender and full of flavor.  Simmer for 5-10 more minutes and serve with hot corn bread muffins.

Enjoy!