Cream of Bean and Ham soup

With the cooler weather the last couple of days, I enjoyed making this soup. I love soup,very easy to make,filling, inexpensive, clean out the fridge and have a one of a kind-leftover-soup! With preserving produce from the summer, I will easily be able to make this in the winter as well!

1 Ham steak (Sweetgrass, Gaia's, or Wintergrass)
1 lg onion, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unbleached AP flour
4 c diced green/yellow beans (can do one or the other)
4 c chicken stock
1 c milk
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
s/p to taste

Heat oil in a large pot. Dice ham steak into bite size pieces, add to pan. Cook over med/high heat to brown. Add onion and saute for 5-7 minutes over med heat. Add butter, melt. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minutes. Stir in thyme, oregano and cayenne. Slowly stir in stock, turn heat up to med/high. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med/low and add beans. Cook for about 20 minutes, until beans are cooked, but not mushy.
Add milk, stir to combine, and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a grilled sharp cheddar on whole wheat.