Lettuce Soup

Description
This is a soup that my Slovak Grandmother use to make when I was a little girl. She used lettuce she would pick fresh out of her garden. I still make this soup every summer and remember her sitting in her kitchen sipping coffee with my Mother and Aunt. It brings back such fond memories.

Ingredients

 * 2 lbs thick slab bacon
 * flour
 * milk
 * 2 eggs, beaten
 * 2 bunches leaf lettuce
 * salt

Directions

 * 1) In a cast iron skillet (this the best but you can use any type skillet) fry 2 lbs of bacon (to render fat, but not crisp the bacon).
 * 2) Remove bacon from skillet leaving the fat in the pan.
 * 3) Allow the fat to brown (slightly).
 * 4) For every 2 tablespoons of browned fat rendered add 2 tablespoons of flour.
 * 5) Stirring constantly, brown flour in fat to a deep golden brown.
 * 6) Allow to cool slightly so as not to curdle the milk when added.
 * 7) Once cooled, add 1 cup of milk for ever 2 tablespoons of flour used.
 * 8) Bring to rolling boil stirring constantly.
 * 9) Add torn up lettuce and cut up bacon to the browned fat and flour mixture.
 * 10) Bring back to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.
 * 11) Add eggs to mixture making sure to stir it throughout the soup.
 * 12) Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for about 1 hour (until lettuce is cooked down).
 * 13) salt to taste.
 * 14) Serve with a crusty french bread.