Wise Women Buy Holiday Hams

It was fitting last week, on January 6, Epiphany, that we finished our holiday ham -- FINALLY. It fed my family and guests for several weeks, with little effort and lots of taste. We had cold ham sandwiches on egg rolls, four-cheese macaroni and ham, grilled ham and manchego cheese on pumpernickel bread (yum!), Navy beans and ham, and bean soup (seasoned with the ham hock). I felt quite smug as I dreamed up yet another way to serve the same old thing again and again.

Epiphany is about offering gifts. Only this time, it was a wise woman who had trudged over to the Honey-Baked Ham store to buy it for me the week of Christmas. Thank you sister Susan! In return, I offer my all-time favorite soup recipe to you, starring - what else - ham. Don't wait for a holiday, though. Serve it to your friends anytime. They'll think you wise and wonderful.

Parkway 600 Wild Rice Soup
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup ham, julienne
1 cup carrots, julienne
1/4 teas. salt
1 teas. white pepper
1/2 teas. curry
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup half & half
Cook onions and celery in butter until tender. Add flour slowly to make a roux. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Combine liquids and slowly add to flour mixture. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 30 minutes.