Scrapple Zuppa Toscana

This is my version of a Zuppa Toscana, an Italian soup made with Italian sausage, onion, bacon, heavy cream, and garlic. This one used bits of pork leftover in the fridge.

12 oz. Smoked Sausage (cheap brands will do, but higher quality will taste better)
6 strips of bacon
6 oz. chopped, roasted pork, pork chops, or ham
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb of spinach, cleaned and chopped
5 cloves fresh garlic -or- 1 tbsp prepared minced garlic from jar
4 cups chicken stock
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 c. heavy cream
3 tbsp flour
1 rutabega, diced and parboiled
3 potatoes, diced and parboiled
1 1/2 c. white/black/pinto beans
milk
water

Bean Prep
The beans can be soaked overnight, or fast boiled to a similar consistency. If soaking, put beans in a bowl and cover with water and let soak until the next day. If fast-boiling, put beans in saucepot, cover with water and boil on high for 20 minutes. Be sure it doesn't boil over. Once soaked or fast boiled, make sure the beans are covered with water and cook on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes more or until done.

Meat Prep
Fry the bacon in a frying pan. Once cooked but not crispy, set aside and pour off the grease into a bowl. This will be used later. If using pre-cooked sausages, chop lengthwise in half and then into 1/4 inch chunks. Sautee in same pan as bacon, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are clear. Chop the other pork into small chunks.

Roots
Fill a large pot with 3 c. water, bring to boil. Chop the rutabaga and potatoes, and put in pot of boiling water. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until a fork can easily be stuck into them. The water from this can go into the soup too.

Spinach
Spinach has a tendency to be covered in dirt and must be thoroughly cleaned or else it tastes and feels gritty, like sand. Clean thoroughly and roughly chop the spinach.

Roux
Add the flour to the frying pan that cooked the bacon and sausage, and add about 2 tbsp worth of bacon grease. Use a rubber spatula and blend into a paste, gradually adding the heavy cream and stirring over medium-low heat. Add enough milk to make a smooth, thin sauce. This process should take 5-8 minutes

Assembly
Put the chicken stock into a soup pot. Turn heat to low to start a simmer. Add the potatoes and rutabaga, pork, sausage, beans, onion and garlic. Add the Spinach and seasonings. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the roux and the bacon last. It is ready to serve once mixed together.