Leftover Easter ham like leftover Thanksgiving turkey are prized at my home and for good reason. A good sandwich made with the remnants of holiday trimmings is one of the best parts of a holiday celebration. Ultimately though, after a few days of a good ham sandwich we become weary of the same food choice. We are faced with a dilemma of sorts as we once again stare at the ham and say, now what do I do with you, perhaps a hearty soup with big ham chunks?

There is so much more to life than succumbing to a rut and well so much more to a ham. Once you have tasted these savory spreads you will find yourself wondering how you missed out all these years. Getting caught in a routine of making the same old thing is a time saver without risk and without promise. It’s familiar and you can trust it will be good. But a routine and a treasured recipe leaves you without adventure and the possibility of finding a new treasured recipe. Frankly there are a host of simply divine food options that await our discovery and enjoyment. I have come to the conclusion life is too short to miss out on the unknown;though I still yearn to eat what is familiar. It is the adventure of what I haven’t tasted that excites me and keeps me motivated on my journey while waiting for God’s call.

I have two leftover solutions depending on whether you live above or below the Mason-Dixon line. Not one to mix politics with food or with anything else for that matter. I find myself seriously torn between my beloved ham spread that I grew up eating in the North and my new-found ham spread that I just discovered in the South. I can not choose a favorite. They are very different even though they start out the same in the initial preparation. It is only when you come to the crossroads of dividing the ground mixture into two separate bowls that they take on their own flavor. Each bowl is finished with their chosen ingredients that makes the spreads unique. They begin to take shape as two different ham spreads with two different textures and two different tastes, which now leaves me with two different favorites. The next time a ham graces my kitchen and I am staring at the remnants hugging the bone,what am I going to do?

Well unable to make a decision and not wanting to burn my bridges up North or down South. I have decided to pledge allegiance to both ham spreads. Its the only logical political and culinary choice I can make.

Fully aware I have committed to cooking Southern for a year. I am using one of my free cards on this simple Northern concoction that brings back childhood memories. We somehow ended up with a ham during the summer one year. I was about 10 years old at the time. The first time I tasted this spread was after a morning swimming in our pool in the backyard. Our mother came from the kitchen with a tray of homemade bread covered with the ham spread; toasty and bubbly hot from the oven. The mere thought causes me to drool faster than my dog Scout can. I have no idea where the recipe came from, it just magically appeared that one afternoon. Consequently it has been made by my family for over 40 years now, causing my children to await the end of a ham with excitement.

Though it might be early in the year to use one of my 12 free cards, it was a wise decision and I haven’t given it a second thought. Lucky for you because I am willing to divulge the secret recipe for this Northern ham spread.

Now the last thing I want to do is start ruining my reputation as a possible candidate for being a Southerner. This has prompted me to take action and my home is now proudly displaying the white flag of truce. The flag will be up till the ham spread is finished, which could be sooner than later at the rate I am eating it.

With two ham spreads in hand, I decided to treat myself to a little Sunday buffet. I was alone over the weekend while my husband was out of town. Setting the buffet with linens was my first step in creating a leisurely afternoon. Even though lemons are a bit so so at the market, I decided to fix a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade. My two ham spreads followed with a salad of baby arugula lightly drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette was perfect, if I do say so myself. Oh, and lest we not forget the Chive Bacon biscuits that were also made for this meal.

After dining, I sat down to re-watch the documentary Laundry and Tosca. This is a must to see. I will talk more about it next post when I share the Biscuit and freshly squeezed Lemonade recipes. If you ever wondered about using the gifts God has blessed you with. Learning to live your life to the fullest without any promise other than the no regrets promise. This film is for you. Please come back to learn more about this moving short documentary Laundry and Tosca.

Here is what you need to do with your leftover ham. When you get down to the last 1/4 of your ham stop eating it. This is the best part of the ham because you are going to cut off the meat and chop it finely in your food processor till it is a nice consistency. Then split it up into two sections, one for the North and one for the South. Equal portions here as we are not to show favoritism.

Yankee Ham Spread

Adapted from my mother’s recipe without her permission…

Leftover Ham in big cubes

1/2 onion in chunks

6 ounces finely grated extra sharp cheddar

1/2 to 2/3 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Grind the ham and onion in the food processor till it resembles a coarse meal. Add the grated cheddar and mix till blended. Slowly add the mayonnaise till you have a nice consistency.

Toast bread in a broiler or toaster oven, remove then spread mixture on top covering the edges. Broil till hot and bubbly. Add fresh pepper if desired. This is so simple that it almost sounds boring and yucky, you should know me well enough to trust me on this as it is Delicious!

COOKS NOTE: Much to my horror, when I spoke to my mom about the accuracy of my memory on how to prepare the ham spread. I discovered that I have been making this recipe all these years eliminating the key ingredient. My horror was in response to what my mother said was the key ingredient. My mother, whom I hold in the highest culinary esteem has all but shattered my image of her. Much as it pains me to disclose this information out of embarassement, I feel I must. It appears that the key ingredient is ……………………..KETCHUP! All I could think of, was how could she? Ketchup of all things. I cried out to her, not my favorite ham spread, please don’t let it be so mom? I asked again, and she emphatically confirmed my worst fears; yes Kim, add ketchup to the recipe. Of course, I rebelled and no ketchup was added. I have lived for the last 30 years making this spread by my failed memory without ketchup. Why change? If you want to listen to my mother and add ketchup, you are on your own. You get no help from me.

Southern Deviled Ham Spread

Adapted; Gourmet Magazine January 2008

Use the other half of the ham and onion from above

3 large sweet gherkins

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Add chopped gherkins, pecan, chopped parsley and other ingredients to ham mixture. Chill, serve spread on a good bread or biscuit.

Coming soon, as in a day or so. A simple recipe for an absolutely divine freshly squeezed lemonade and Chive & Bacon biscuits, aka the adapted Flying Biscuit recipe;that is above any other biscuit recipe I have ever had.