Poor Man's Soup

2 or 3 ham hocks
head of cabbage
leftovers of a celery bunch (leaves, etc) washed
chopped carrots and/or parsnips
misc. vegies - nearly anything can go in
1 clove garlic, minced very fine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
*optional - cooked rice - the leftovers from Chinese takeout can be frozen to use for this and myriad other dishes

1. Place hocks in a dutch oven or similar sized pan. Cover ham hocks with water and add bay leaf, garlic, celery, carrots/parsnips, etc. Add water to top of dutch oven. Bring to boil, then simmer for 4 - 6 hours
2. Strain through a fine sieve or colander and return broth to pan. Chop cabbage to bite sized pieces and add any vegies you want, and rice if you have it. Heat on medium until cabbage is transparent and other vegies are soft but not falling apart.
3. Serve with a good bread - rye is particularly nice.

Sarah Nelson
Phoenix, AZ