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Who is Generous John? The Table of Plenty program wants to thank generous John, but it can���t find him. Just before Christmas he showed up at the Beaumont Presbyterian Church with bags full of children���s clothes that he wanted given to kids who needed them. ���They were brand new. He said he bought them to give them away. They still had tags on them,��� said Jodie Welch, a volunteer for Table of Plenty. ���And they were all sizes, from little bitty to about size ten. There were pants, shirts, jackets, everything.��� The clothes were distributed to families who used the Table of Plenty hot meal program at the church on Wednesdays. When a family arrived with children, the parents were told of the clothes and allowed to pick out items they could use. ���We suggested they could wrap them and use them as Christmas presents,��� said Welch. But if they wanted to use them right away, that was OK too. Welch, a resident of Sun Lakes, said ���We want to thank him. He said his name was John and he lived in Four Seasons.��� She hoped an article in the Breeze might help find him. Come out, John, wherever you are. Let the church or the program know who you are. You���ll get a nice note in return. ~ Leighton McLaughlin Chef ���s Corner Ham Bean & Vegetable Soup I decided it was time to make a ham and bean soup using the leftover holiday ham I had frozen in December. This was my second attempt. The first was back in 2007, and it was a disaster. Not wanting to waste a perfectly good ham I did an Internet search and reviewed a few recipes that were at the top of the list. I decided to make a very basic recipe, electing not to add ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, ground pepper, etc., because Sue prefers a less spicy meal. Fortunately, it turned out to be a tasty soup. Otherwise this would never have seen the light of day, let alone become published. Difficulty: Moderate ��� Total time: 4 hours ��� Servings: 6-8 INGREDIENTS quick soak bean prep ��� 1. Rinse beans and put in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 10 cups of water. 2. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. 3. Drain in a colander and set aside. ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� 10 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2013 | community News By Randy Balt 20 oz. Essential Everyday��� 16 Bean Soup Mix (discard seasoning packet) 1 meaty smoked ham bone 2 cups medium, diced, fully cooked smoked ham 8 cups vegetable broth Water, as needed 1 large yellow onion 3 large carrots 6 medium celery stalks �� tsp. chili powder 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes Salt and pepper, as needed soup directions 4. Place vegetable broth, ham bone and diced ham in large saucepan or Dutch oven and bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat. Add water as needed to cover beans completely. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. 5. Add the soaked beans, stir to combine (leave the bone in the pot), and return to a simmer, skimming the surface with a spoon as necessary to remove any scum. Cook about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are almost completely tender but still a little underdone in the center. (They will cook more later.) 6. Meanwhile, peel and cut the carrots, onion and celery into medium dice and place in a bowl. Set aside. 7. Remove the ham bone to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove extra meat from the bones and return to the pot, if desired. Discard the skin and bones. 8. Add the diced vegetables, canned tomatoes (undrained), and chili powder, stirring to combine. Add additional water as needed. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans and vegetables are tender and the meat is falling off the bone, about 40 minutes more. Turn off the heat. 9. Season to taste. Community News | FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MARCH 2013 11

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