Week after Easter Potato Salad

That ham bone is starting to make you feel guilty every time you open the refrigerator. Look at all the meat that is still clinging to the bone; but it's mostly in little pieces that are hard to think of ways to use it. And boiled eggs! Nobody in the family even wants to hear about another egg salad sandwich for at least a month, and plain boiled eggs for breakfast have also lost any special "magic they might have had before.

Time for a potato salad dinner, one that is really fast to make and different from the rest of what you've been having lately. Today's recipe is a variation on a "German" Potato Salad my kids' Great Grandma often made in the summer--and always when there was going to be a "brat" fry.

Using ham scraps and some of that extra fat around the bone will still give the smoky flavor Great Grandma's bacon and bacon fat provided, and the eggs will provide more body and texture, even as they are more "hidden" from those who might be ready to complain about "oh no, boiled eggs again. (In case you noticed, yes my photo has the eggs on the side. Just couldn't get the photo to look quite as good without them placed separately. Some day I'll get this food photography thing down!)

I also use something Great Grandma never had to cook the potatoes--my microwave. The potatoes cook in just about the same amount of time the rest of the recipe comes together, a real benefit at the end of a busy day. Add a tossed salad and/or fresh fruit and you have a complete meal.

 

German Potato Salad with Ham

This amount serves four as a main dish or six if it is used as a side. It is easily doubled for potlucks and picnics too.  

1 pound potatoes, in large dice (or sliced)

about 1 to 1 1/2 c small ham pieces, with fat not trimmed off

1 small to medium onion, diced

1 c water--divided

1/4 c sugar

2 T cider vinegar

2 T cornstarch

2 boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

1.  Place the potatoes in a microwave safe mixing bowl (about a quart to a quart and a half size) with 1/2 cup water. Cover loosely and microwave on high about 7 minutes. Stir after a few minutes and then check again after about 6 minutes to be sure the potatoes are just done but not too soft. Microwaves vary, so you may have to make some adjustment in the time.

2.  Meanwhile, put the ham in a skillet. if it is very lean, you may need to add a teaspoon or two of oil, to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the ham over medium high heat, stirring and pressing on the pieces to release the fat on to the pan.  About a minute or so before the potatoes are done, add the onions to the ham and allow to cook lightly.

3.  Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and 1/4 c water in a measuring cup, until the mixture is very smooth. 

4.  When the potatoes are done, drain any remaining liquid into the sugar and vinegar mixture and add enough water to reach the 1 1/2 cup line. 

5.  Pour this mixture into the pan with the ham and onions. Stir until the mixture becomes thick and clear. Fold in the potatoes and chopped eggs, turn off the heat, and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

6.  Now, check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. You need to wait until this point because there is so much variation in the saltiness of ham.  Best served warm but it can also be chilled if you prefer.

VARIATION--if you also have leftover potatoes (like those little red ones you boiled in their jackets and served with just a bit of butter and salt and pepper), make the following changes:  Omit the potato water in step 4 and just use tap water to reach the 1 1/2 cup level.  Stir the potatoes into the sauce and allow to simmer on low for several minutes, until they are thoroughly heated through.

Frugal? Of course--this uses those leftovers you might otherwise be tempted to toss.

Fast?  From the time you start scrubbing the potatoes until the salad is ready for the table, you probably won't have spent more than half an hour.

Fun? Potato salad is one of those foods I think of as a warm weather dish, so this just might make you feel a little more springlike.

Tomorrow I'll be adding a soup recipe or two for the bone and any juices you may have reserved. Meanwhile, you can look to my very first Frugal, Fast, and Fun blog post for my take on classic

 Split Pea Soup with Ham .

Last Week's Baked Ham, This Week's Soup

I tucked half a ham into the slow cooker on Christmas afternoon to go with some good rolls, lots of fresh vegetables and dip, and cheese and crackers for an afternoon/evening of snacking while we played board games and talked. One of the joys of having brunch as our big Christmas meal is the relaxed eating the rest of the day.

A nice thing about having the ham in the refrigerator has been the ready source of meat for all kinds of meals throughout the holidays along with several tightly wrapped packets of ham for casseroles throughout the coming month.

And then the best part of all: the ham bone along with the reserved juices from the cooker become the heart of at least one batch of soup. This time I went with split pea, starting with a recipe I found years ago on a bag of Jack Rabbit brand split peas. As usual, I added my own changes and then--as you should always do with every batch of soup--I tasted and upgraded with a few additions to fit the final taste. Result? A huge pot of soup that has already made a couple of meals; a few more bags have been fitted into the still full freezer for drop in guests or a quick meal after a chilly afternoon of shoveling. The nice thing is that the bone is essentially free, the bag of peas is still just under a dollar, and I was able to get all the vegetables on sale, so the cost per serving has got to be a fraction of what purchased soup would cost.

Split Pea Soup

16 oz dry split peas
ham bone--from a half ham--with most meat cut off
1 large onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves OR about 1 T bottled, chopped garlic
1/2 t dried oregano
2 t mixed herbs (I mix rosemary, thyme, basil, and marjoram in about equal parts in a mortar and pestle)
1/2 to 1 t black pepper
2 large carrots, cubed (about 2 c)
2 or 3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 packet bouillon (optional)
Water and ham juices--see NOTES
Splash of cider or wine vinegar

Rinse peas and combine with other ingredients in a large stew pot, using enough water to cover all ingredients well. Cover and bring to a boil and then simmer for about two hours. Remove the bones, cut off any remaining meat and add to soup. Taste for seasonings and add more liquid if necessary. . Continue simmering until all ingredients are very soft, perhaps another hour or so.
This makes at least a gallon and a half of soup.

NOTE: When you bake your ham, be sure to save all juices for this soup--UNLESS you have used a very sweet glaze for the ham. If that is the case, you will want to use only water to avoid an overly sweet soup.

NOTE: The original recipe called for 3 quarts of water, but I often use a little less for making the soup. This will result in a very thick soup that will take less space in the freezer. After thawing and before reheating, you will be able to thin it with water just like the condensed canned soups.

What to serve with a soup like this? Saltine crackers of course! A nice apple crisp would be a good dessert, or a big bowl of tangerines (about half the cost of clementines right now).