French Cabbage Soup

3 c Potatoes; peeled & chopped

1 lb Lean bacon or ham

-- in 1 piece 3 qt ;Water

2 lb Cabbage; roughly sliced

6 Peppercorns; crushed

2 Celery stalks; sliced

1 1/2 c Canned red or white beans

-- drained 6 Parsley sprigs

1 Bay leaf

1/2 ts Each ground thyme & marjoram

2 Garlic cloves; crushed

2 Onions

2 Carrots; quartered

2 Turnips; peeled & chopped

Salt Put potatoes and bacon in deep kettle. Add water. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove meat; slice into serving pieces. Skim off excess fat from soup. Return meat to soup. Add beans. Season to taste with salt. Heat thoroughly. Serve with French bread. From _A Taste of West Virginia: A Book of Favorite Recipes_. Leawood, KS: Circulation Service, Inc., 1991. Pg. 15. Posted by Cathy Harned.