Instructions:

Soak your beans in 6 cups of water for at least 6 hours. Drain and rinse the beans and then add them to your pot with the ham shank and 6 cups of water. Turn the heat on and let it simmer for 2 hours.

When the two hours are almost over, start the rest of the ingredients. I like to cook everything down before adding it to the beans to let it develop it's flavor.

In a separate saucepan, add the olive oil and chopped onions with some salt and pepper and let those go low and slow. When they've just started to get color, up the heat to medium and add the garlic and herbs. In a minute those will start to smell heavenly, then add the carrots and stir them around, adding more salt and pepper. When the carrots smell good, add the tomato paste, the fresh tomatoes and let those just start to cook before adding in the vinegar. Let that cook down into a goopy mess. It should taste really, really strong right now. It has to in order to stand up to being mixed in with the beans and their liquid.

This is when you stir the two together. Taste for salt after you've thoroughly stirred it. Give it another ten minutes to come together in the bean pot and then serve.

Variations: Sometimes I'll add a big handful of shredded kale and other leafy greens. They go really well with the ham flavor, and add nutritious greens to your diet.

Instructions:

Start this dish in the morning to give it a lot of time to cook slowly in the oven.

Set a large dutch oven on the stove with some olive oil, and cook the sliced onions low and slow until they are just turning color. Remove them from the pan and reserve them in a bowl.

Mix the flour with salt and pepper (and any other spices you think might be nice) and use that to coat the seven bone roast really well. Turn the heat on under the dutch oven to medium high, add more oil if needed and set the roast in the pan. You're not trying to cook the meat through, just cook the flour and get some color from the meat and juices. Flip it once (carefully, it's heavy and unwieldy) and cook the other side as well.

Preheat your oven to 300ºF

Remove the meat to a plate for a moment. Up the heat to high and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Expect some sputtering. Stir up all the yummy bits and return the roast to the dutch oven. Add the root vegetables and pearl onions. Crush the garlic cloves and add them along with the bay leaves and any other herbs you might want to add (rosemary would be nice). Throw in the reserved cooked onions. Cover with the beef stock and bring to a simmer.

Once it has simmered a couple of minutes, cover and throw the whole thing into the oven. After it's been in there at least an hour, you can cut the temp to 250ºF and let it cook all day. You'll know it is done when the bones come out without any effort. If you don't want the root vegetables to be that mushy, feel free to add them an hour or so before you intend to serve it.

I remove the bones and use a spoon to make rough portions of meat and serve it as a stew in bowls with a slice or two of crusty bread slathered in butter.

Instructions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a pan large enough to hold the greens mounded high. Add the minced shallot and a little salt and the pepper. Once that just starts to cook, add the garlic and let that just get fragrant before adding the greens and a little more salt.

The greens should wilt and cook down nicely. The thickness of the leaves will determine the cooking time, you just want them wilted nicely and almost cooked through before adding the vinegar and tossing well before taking off the heat.

This recipe works with any leafy greens that you might have, and acts as a satisfying side to any meal in the spring and summer.

When beets are in season, we could have this every day. You'll be surprised how many greens this can work with.

Variations:

Use rice wine vinegar and add a splash of fish sauce, serve sprinkled with sesame seeds for an asian tang.

Sauté onions and carrots, add the greens and finish with the juice of one lemon for a different twist.