Leftovers and little things

 

The “leftovers” I refer to is leftover ham from the typical Easter dinner baked ham.  Using leftovers is the frugal “Yankee way” up here in Maine, and lots of casserole dishes show up at pot luck dinners which can prove how tasty leftovers can be!  I am sharing two recipes this month.  One is really quick to make, less than fifteen minutes start to finish.  The other requires advance preparation, soaking beans overnight. This recipe features Jacob's cattle beans, a heritage bean from the Passamaquoddy Indians.  My family heritage is from Eastport, Maine and a drive into Eastport goes right through the Passamaquoddy reservation, Sipsyik.

The “little things” are all the small things that add meaning and trigger emotions in our lives.  The last weekend of March was Maple Sugar Weekend here in Maine.  A couple who have been friends with us for years, and who have remained steadfast after my husband died, stopped by and picked me up on their way out to dinner at my favorite local restaurant.  I really enjoyed the meal and their company. I have thought a lot about how much that meant to me.  Then the next day, my closest neighbors, a wonderful couple, took me along for the ride to go to a local farm that has a maple sugar shack.  The beautiful old farm and many maple trees provided the perfect backdrop to the sugar shack where the sap was being boiled down under the flames stoked by fragrant firewood.  They were serving vanilla ice cream with hot maple syrup and it was so good it gave me the chills!  I am still craving more!  It is these simple gestures that bring joy.  I look forward to the opportunity to pass small kindnesses on to others  You never know how much a simple gesture can mean to another.

Then there was the day that I needed a tool for a simple repair in the kitchen.  I went out to the barn to look for the right tool, and picked up one of my husband’s favorite wrenches from his work bench.  I have not altered a thing on that work bench since he died.  It always makes me sad to see his favorite “puttering place” so abandoned.  I shed a few tears that morning, sitting on the steps with my two dogs huddled up to comfort me. These simple moments can bring back memories of loved ones.

Recipes: 

 

 

Late in the fall, when my favorite farm stand, Beth’s Farm Stand in Warren, Maine, was closing for the season, I stopped by one last time to stock up on the most durable items sold there. I was really intrigued by the bags of Jacobs Cattle Beans on display.  I never saw such pretty beans!  I grabbed a one-pound bag and then went home to do some research ways to use them.

The two-toned pattern of the beans led to the name “cattle beans” after the coloration of the hide of the Hereford cow, and the bible story of Jacob and his speckled livestock.  The Jacob's Cattle bean is an heirloom of Prince Edward Island. There are claims that it was cultivated by the Passamaquoddy Indians during the 17th Century, and here in Maine the Passamaquoddy tribes are still present and an important part of Maine’s heritage. Jacob's Cattle shelling beans are one of hundreds of heirloom shelling bean varieties that are native to North America but most are long forgotten. Jacob's Cattle shelling beans were once common and then went into obscurity.  In recent years there has been newfound interest in heritage foods and farming. They are now commonly found at farmstands and farmers markets in Maine.  After cooking the beans for the first time, I found them to be very rich and nutty in flavor with a creamy texture.  This recipe is perfect and although I added a ham steak on the side, this dish is certainly hearty enough to serve on it’s own as a main dish.  You can order Jacob’s Cattle beans on-line if you cannot find them locally.

 

Jacob’s Cattle Beans with Sage and Bacon

(This recipe takes some time up front as the beans need to be soaked in water overnight).

½ lb. dried Jacob’s Cattle beans

3 pieces thick cut bacon

1 tablespoon. each of olive oil and butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 – 2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried sage, plus fresh sage

Salt and pepper

 Place dried beans in a bowl and cover with water to soak overnight in the fridge. To add flavor to the water, I added one bouillon cube to the water.

2 hours before serving time, transfer the beans and their liquid to a dutch oven or heavy stock pot.  If much of the water has been absorbed, add some to just cover the beans.  Place lid on the pot and bring to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer for 30 minutes.  The photo below shows how much liquid there is on top of the beans at the start of the cooking time.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet, and drain on paper towels.  Chop celery, carrots, onion and garlic.  Pour bacon grease out of skillet, add olive oil and butter, sauté’ the vegetables until soft.  Add sage, salt and pepper.  Transfer the vegetables to the pot of beans.  Continue cooking, partially covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The beans should be in a thick gravy -like liquid by now.  At last minute add chopped fresh sage and crumbled bacon, stir and serve.

 

Pasta Carbonara

                                             

This recipe is fantastic as a brunch dish, or a late evening supper dish, and from start to finish takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.  You can use leftover ham, bacon or pancetta for the protein ingredient, or a combination of any of these.  I used bacon and left over ham for this dish.  Pancetta is the Italian version of bacon.  It resembles a rolled up ham, but has more fat.
The trick here is that the hot, freshly cooked pasta cooks the egg when tossed with the pasta.  A hot bowl and room temperature egg ensures that the egg will cook when mixed in.

3 slices thick cut bacon
½ cup leftover ham, cubed
or ¼ lb. pancetta, cubed
6-8 oz. fresh pasta – linguini or fettuccini
1 egg at room temperature
2 tablespoons of light cream
chopped Italian parsley
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
salt and ground black pepper
hot pepper flakes (optional)

 

                                                       A fresh pasta brand that I rely on....      

Have a metal mixing bowl on hand in a warm place or fill the bowl with hot water to pre-heat the bowl.

Fry bacon or pancetta in a frying pan until browned and crisp.  Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Crumble the bacon, and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a large kettle and add the pasta, cooking according to directions.  For fresh pasta this should be 3-4 minutes.  Drain pasta in a colander.

While pasta is cooking, pour the water out of the bowl and break the egg into the warm bowl and whisk until well beaten.

Add steaming hot pasta to the bowl with the egg and stir.  The hot pasta will cook the egg. 
Add the crumbled bacon, cubed ham, or pancetta, add light cream and parsley, salt and pepper, grated Parmesan and hot pepper flakes.  Mix with a pasta fork and large spoon.  Serve with extra Parmesan sprinkled on top.