Upsides to the Down Economy/ Split Pea Goodness

I love supper dishes that do double-duty. For example, a pork roast for dinner one night, creates leftovers which turn into bar-b-que pork sandwiches (with corn on the cob and coleslaw) for another night. Imagine my delight in finding a recipe for Split Pea Soup (my all time favorite soup) that uses a leftover ham bone to create a flavorful stock, plus uses up leftover ham. Another plus to this recipe is that it can be made ahead, and simply needs reheating. Made with dried split peas, a leftover ham bone and veggies, it feeds a crowd cheaply. We will be eating it tonight, along with grilled cheese sandwiches oozing with cheddar. This is comfort food to the nth degree, to be sure. Note that the ham stock needs to made the night before and this soup is chunky, not smooth. If you want a smooth split peas soup, you could puree it in the food processor. Featured in my photos is one of my favorite Christmas gifts- a Cutco chef's knife. It's great!

Night-Before Split Pea Soup

1 pd dry split peas

8 cups ham stock (see note)

1 medium onion (3/4 cup chopped)

2 large carrots (for 3/4 cup chopped)

2 large celery ribs (3/4 cups chopped)

1 tsp thyme leaves

2 tsps Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

Pour the split peas into a colander and remove any debris. Rinse the peas and set aside. Bring the ham stock to a boil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onions and carrots and add them to the pot. Dice the celery and add it, too. Add the split peas, thyme, Worcestershire, pepper, ham and garlic powder. Simmer 15 to 25 minutes, until the peas and celery are cooked through and tender. Season to taste with salt. Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate for up to three days. If reheating, you made need to thin with stock. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Ham stock

Simmer 1 ham bone, 2 celery ribs (with leaves), 1 peeled and quartered onion, 1 halved carrot, 1 tsp black peppercorns and 2 bay leaves in 12 cups of water, uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. Drain, discarding solids.