Marla's daughter and 2 grandsons are here now and I made that blackberry ice cream as I said I would. It was delicious. And remember I said it was so hot. Well today it is cold and rainy, that is Western Washington weather at its best. So I thought a hearty soup might be good. Here is a great recipe that sticks to your ribs.

Butter Bean (or baby lima bean) Soup with Ham and Cabbage

1 lb. butter beans (or use baby lima beans if you can't get butter beans)
1 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 cup chopped celery1 tsp. dried thyme2 quarts water
1 T ham flavor base (optional, but recommended)
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
2 cups finely diced hamfresh ground black pepper to taste

Soak beans 4-8 hours, then pour into colander, rinse, and let drain. (I soaked my beans 4 hours, but next time I would soak them longer for shorter cooking time. I think the best way to cook beans is to soak them all day while you're at work, then cook at night.)

In heavy soup pot, heat olive oil, saute onion and celery 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften, then add thyme and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add beans and 2 quarts water, and cook beans at a low simmer until they are starting to soften. This could take as long as 2-3 hours, depending on how long you soaked the beans, and their age if you're using supermarket beans.When beans feel like they are about 3/4 soft (when you bite down on one) add Penzeys ham flavor base (if using), finely chopped cabbage, and finely diced ham. Cook about 1 hour more, until beans are very soft, soup broth is very flavorful, and most of the cabbage has disintegrated into the soup. Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.