Split Pea Soup

 Take a ham bone (with a good bit of meat left if possible), put in soup pot and cover with water, add a carrot and an onion (peeled and trimmed but whole).Cover and simmer for an hour or two.

Pour the broth thru a strainer and back into pot (discard carrot and onion, their flavor has gone into the broth) Take meat off bone and cut up while you start the peas simmering in the broth -- add at least a lb of green split peas, probably 1 1/2 lbs for a mostly full pot of soup . Depending on available time, this can simmer quite a while - you'll want at least an hour, or longer if the peas are old. About 45 minutes or so before eating add peeled and chopped potatoes (maybe two-three), sliced carrots (maybe 4-5), and a large chopped and sauted-until-golden onion -- can add some water to get bits off onion-y pan to add (can also add carrots/potatoes to saute a little while for extra flavor if you want).
OR while the broth is in the container you strained it into, brown the chopped onion in the pot (and celery and other things if you like), then you catch all the extra flavor when you put the broth back in and add peas, etc.but you might not want the potatoes and carrots as mushy as they can get with all the time needed to soften the peas.

Put in cut up meat off the ham bone whenever you get it done, use Mrs. Dash and Nature's Seasons or  Penzey's Foxpoint or Mural of Flavor seasonings. Bay leaf is good (added with peas) or other favorite seasonings added some early, some mid-cooking, some near end for layers of flavor. Usually there is enough saltiness from the ham that you don't need salt - check before salting! fresh ground pepper is good.
*Stir occasionally -- and turn down or stir more often if it sticks to the bottom.

Good dish for a cold day - just do one step every once in a while as you go about dealing with home and family till its done for dinner.

for best results serve with Fresh French Bread! (easy recipe in previous post - if you start both recipes early in the afternoon you'll be all set, maybe a little fruit for side or dessert)


for extra fun, if you have yellow split peas, divide up your broth and make half with yellow, half green, then pour both kinds in the bowl from opposite sides, do one careful swirl through both sides and dollop a little sour cream in the center and put on a parsley leaf - how high-class is budget dinner now?