I have established on numerous occasions how the mister is today's only living Caveman. I think I have actually supplied proof confirming his Caveman status that could hold up in a court of law. Therefore it should come as no surprise when I tell you the mister thinks he's being targeted, by Putin, or one of his minions. Case in point, he receives unsolicited phone calls on his cell phone, spam emails and junk mail in our snail-mailbox. He is a marked man! He sees all of the above as suspicious and part of a grand scheme to infiltrate his life. The mister, after hearing the news about Facebook "spying" on people, has decided to take precautions (the mister is NOT on Facebook and never would be...must have something to hide is what I say!) Therefore he double deletes everything on his phone and computer. He doesn't have anything stored in his email. Nothing. Not even one email from me! He has 15 contacts in his phone and he won't ever have more and those contacts are all related to him. He never answers his phone if he doesn't recognize the number and since he can't remember anyone's number he doesn't answer the phone. At all. So don't bother calling him. He only uses his phone as a phone. He has no apps. None. He calls apps Spy-ware. The Russians are not going to know his business!! That is, unless Alexa talks! I have "her" hooked up in the kitchen...and since the mister is totally paranoid and knows she is listening to every word, he doesn't speak to me in the kitchen...I'm thinking of putting one in every room in the house...would that be too obvious??? He's crazy!
Speaking of crazy, you would be crazy not to make this for dinner tonight. Seriously. It is the very definition of comfort food. Thick toasted sourdough bread, swimming in a rich broth with creamy beans and chunks of left-over Easter ham...dang delicious.
When your spy comes in from the cold, make this for him. He will love it...it will remind him of a simpler time, when we dialed our friends from a phone with a curly cord attached to the wall...when we had to actually get up and turn the television dial with our hands to select one of the three network stations we wanted to watch...when we answered the door without asking first who's there. Ham, Beans and Garlic Toast in Broth has the ability to turn back time, at least in my mind. Make this one, you won't be sorry.
Ham, Beans and Garlic Toast in Broth - Adapted from New York Times Cooking, Tejal Rao
(I changed this recipe to include canned beans, of course you can use fresh or frozen. I also added the ham, as my caveman needs meat at every meal! And I added the micro-broccoli, mainly because I love it and I wanted some color in the broth.)
2 cans (15 oz.) Cannellini beans, drained
2 cups diced ham
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup micro broccoli
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
4 ounces of Parmesan rinds (if you have them)
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving, if desired
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil. When oil is hot add onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and carrots just begin to soften. Add two garlic cloves, (one is reserved) Parmesan rinds if using, ham, salt, pepper and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in micro broccoli and parsley. Cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
While soup is cooking, prepare garlic toasts: Slice sourdough bread about 1-inch thick. Place on foil-lined sheet under broiler for 2 minutes, so the bread is crisp at the edges and nicely toasted, then flip bread and repeat...or you can use a toaster! While the bread is still hot, rub the remaining garlic clove along one side of each piece, as if you were grating the garlic on the bread, pushing just firmly enough for the clove to fray and dissolve slightly into the bread. It won't look like you're doing much but the resulting flavor is undeniable!
To assemble, place a piece of bread at the bottom of 4 wide, shallow bowls and ladle hot soup on top. Wait a few seconds for the bread to absorb some broth, then ladle a little extra on top. Garnish bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and a nice sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese on top along with a little black pepper. Serves 4. Maybe you don't need two pieces of toasts in each bowl...but we do!
