Now that you've made many ham and swiss on rye sandwiches, ham frittatas, Denver omelettes, and whatever else, from your leftover Easter 2007 ham, and you're down to the bone, what's next?

Soup, of course

'Tis my understanding, taken from Zuppa "Soups from the Italian Countryside" warning: Amazon Link by Anne Bianchi, that there are eight types of Italian soups:

1. Zuppa - rich and complex, usually served over a large slice of crusty bread, that has been brushed with olive oil and maybe garlic or an appropriate herb, and toasted on that side
2. Farinate - a porridge or gruel, made from a savory, often vegetable, stock with polenta, buckwheat or farina (flour made from durum or semolina wheat, barley or farro, rice or chestnuts)
3. Minestrone - a "big soup" with many, many ingredients [my family's minestrone is ham, cabbage, green beans, salami or pepperoni, potatoes and savories]
4. Minestre - much like a zuppa but with rice or pasta, rather than being served over bread
5. Brodi - a broth, possibly served over a large crouton, as with a zuppa, or croutons, or not
6. Pancotti - bread soups
7. Passate - purees made with a food mill
8. Creme - cream soups

So, rather than the minestrone that my parents make, or a simple navy bean soup, here's what I'm doing with my ham bone today...

Minestrone di Castagne e Fagioli Cannellini

A big soup of chestnuts and white beans adapted from Anne Bianchi's book

1. If using dried cannellini [small white beans] and dried, peeled chestnuts, pick over for stones, wash, and soak together overnight as usual, one pound of chestnuts and an half-cup of beans
2. Put the ham bone and whatever meat is left into a stock or crock pot with a properly studded, sweet, yellow onion
   
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3. Cover the ham, bone and onion with vegetable stock; simmer for four hours
4. Add the soaked, drained, and otherwise prepared beans and chestnuts, and simmer for two hours
5. Add a bunch of kale, chard or spinach that has been cleaned and soaked in cold, salted water for an half-hour, two tablespoons of a soffritto made from diced onion, celery and carrot, cracked black pepper, and coarsely chopped parsley, lightly (literally boiled in oil) stewed in olive oil and butter, until the vegetables are very tender, a grind of nutmeg, crushed pepper, and salt to taste, cook another 20 minutes
6. an half-cup of white arborio rice may also be added at the same time as the greens and spices for a very hearty soup

Serve piping hot with crusty bread and white wine and... Enjoy!