Senate Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. dried beans
5 qt. water
1 smoked ham bone
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Preparation

Wash beans and soak overnight in a large kettle; drain in the morning.
Add water to make 5 quarts; add bone and simmer for 2 hours or until beans fall apart.
Add potatoes, onions, celery and garlic.
Simmer one more hour.
Remove the bone, cut up the meat and put the meat back in.
Season to taste.