Scouse

When I was growing up, we didn’t have hodge podge, we had scouse. At least, that was what my mother called it. It was the first vegetables from the garden cooked with a small piece of salt beef of salt pork. The meat was just to flavor and salt the water. If you want hodge podge, just omit the salt meat.

Upon doing some research, I found that the term scouse probably has roots in Liverpool. A scouse there, was/is a meat stew. The meat used would usually be lamb or beef. A stew without meat would be referred to as a blind scouse.

Scouse

8 oz salt beef

1 lb small new potatoes

8 oz baby carrots

8 oz snow peas

8 oz green and/or yellow beans

1 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

flour and water mixed to a slurry

Cut the salt beef into small slices. Place in a pot and cover with water.

Simmer until the beef is tender. Check the water for salt. If the beef is very salty you may need to add more water.

Add the potatoes. Once the pot comes back to a simmer, add the carrots, when the potatoes and carrots are cooked, add the beans, then the peas, next pour in the milk

Bring back to a simmer, and thicken with the flour and water slurry. Do not thicken too much. It should be just thicker than cream

When the slurry is cooked in, add the butter.