Winter Chills......

Well technically it is Spring but the weather has not decided on that really yet and we are getting some belated Winter wind and rain.
Consequently, the jumping from barmy to chilly weather has played havoc on our bodies and my cherubs and I have been struck down with a terrible sinusy lurgy.

It is at times like this that you don't actually feel you want to eat anything substantial but I know I should be taking in some well needed nutrients if I am to kick this sucker into touch.

We were so affected we didn't leave the house so I am delving deep into the abyss that is my chest freezer and trying to use up meat cuts before we go for another homekill.

That's when I found the bacon hock....what to do? I admit I have not cooked one of these before.

So after much trawling of the internet and cook books I decided on boiling the hock in stock and using the meat in a soup. WOW...delicious, nutritious and, although the girls still weren't up to eating much I used the soup juice to soften up some mashed potato for them, they loved it.

And it's easy peasy to make :) Don't worry too much about exact quantities, feel free to fiddle to your heart's desire.

Hearty Hock Soup

1 organic Bacon Hock
2 large organic Agria potatoes
1 large red Kumara
2L organic vegetable stock with 4 cloves and 8 black peppercorns and 1 large organic garlic clove squashed
2 large organic carrots
bunch of homegrown parsley, mint and thyme
3 white onions
extra organic garlic

Place the hock in a large saucepan and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat starts to come away from the bone.
Pull out the hock and allow to cool, then take the skin off and cut the meat off the bone into chunks.
Strain the stock and return to the pan. Put in the washed and chopped potatoes, kumara and carrot.
 Cook until tender.
In a frying pan sauté the sliced onions until soft using oil with two squashed garlic cloves.
Add the onion to the pan and chop up all the washed herbs and add those too, cook a little longer (say 10 minutes).

Enjoy and be well!