Potato and Ham Soup

This is a budget stretching meal. It is also a family recipe from my (adopted family) grandmother, Margaret Witkowski (1911-1979). My grandmother was a farmer's wife. They married when she was 14 years old. I enjoyed visiting their 150-acre farm in Wisconsin during my youth. My grandfather, Paul Witkowski (1906-1970), bought the farm during the Great Depression. Recipe serves two. Easily increase ingredients for more soup or omit ham for a vegetarian meal.

Ingredients

Olive oil, 2 tablespoons

Onion, 1 small

Celery, 2 ribs

Red potatoes, 3 medium

Ham, ½ cup, chopped

Water, two cups

Butter, 1 tablespoon

Milk, 1 cup

Preparation

Add the oil to a large pot/pan. Chop onion and celery. Heat in the pan on a low medium. Peel and chop potatoes into ½ inch chunks. Add to pan. Stir around as it will stick. Add chopped ham. Just before the onion caramelizes, add the water. Scrape bottom of pan. Turn up heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Lower heat, add dots of butter, stirring to melt. Add milk, heat through.