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Although this recipe calls for a ham hock and a Substitution Note at the end allows “any white bean” (the genuine Senate version uses Navy Beans, of course), I had a real ham bone leftover from the Easter ham. A pound of French Coco Beans were found languishing in the “dry locker” and this became destiny for them. (Coco beans are small white beans about half the size of a petite green pea) I begin by stripping the bone of most, but not all, of its remaining morsels of meat and fat, reserving the trimmed meat for later addition. Then because I own a bone saw, I am compelled to saw the bone into several pieces to expose the marrow for maximum extraction. Bone pieces into the pressure cooker along with some water and cooked at full pressure for one hour. Cooled until the rendered fat has congealed, then skimmed from the surface of the stock. Bones remain in the cooker- adding in the dried beans, water to cover the beans, a very large finely chopped onion, and three large celery stalks finely chopped. Cover secure, lock and cook 35 minutes after full pressure is reached. Remove from heat, release the pressure, and when cool enough to handle, remove the bones (the bone has broken down further into multiple fragments) and set aside. Transfer the beans, aromatics and stock to a 6-quart pot. Salvage any bits of meat from the bones, add to the pot and discard the bones.

A Turkish bay leaf and 6-cups of low-sodium, low-fat chicken stock go in. Twists of freshly ground pepper, and some number (6 or so- they are sweet) of mashed roasted garlic cloves. Cook over low heat until the beans reach desired tenderness. Add any additional leftover cubed ham and the contents of a tin of drained S&W white beans, pressed through a sturdy coarse sieve or otherwise mashed, to thicken the soup. A “cooks secret” dash, or three, of Tabasco® to finish. Heat through and ladle into heated bowls, dusted with minced flat-leaf parsley leaves. Serve with tossed seasonal salad greens and corn bread.