The other day my friend, Adadot, posted a picture of the
tree in her backyard, a lovely tree filled with gold and red leaves signally
the change of seasons in her neck of the woods.
It reminded me of the years when I grew up in the Midwest. Memories of walking to football games in the
crisp evenings with the sound of crunching leaves underfoot, putting away the
summer lawn furniture, taking out the heavy coats and sweaters. At first I felt some regret at living in our
Pacific Coast California paradise because we do not have a change of
seasons. But then I realized that I was
not being truthful…we do have seasonal changes.
They may not be as dramatic as what occurs in other areas of the United
States but things change, the pace of life slows, we pull in, hunker down, go
within, contemplate, replenish, and wait for a sense of rebirth when spring
arrives.
Yesterday a cold front arrived in Los Angeles bringing with
it cooler temperatures, overcast skies and threatening rain. We turned up the thermostat and prayed the
furnace would remember how to ignite.
And I went to the pantry to prepare an appropriate meal…something
substantial, comforting, that would warm
us on the inside as well. Maybe a nourishing soup. I
reached for my package of dry split peas.
My grandmother loved to cook with dry legumes. Pasta Fagiole was a familiar winter
dish. It was considered poor people’s
food because often it was meatless…just beans, some vegetables, a little pasta
and broth. Over the years I have
expanded my repertoire to include other legumes like split peas. This go-to recipe is a favorite.
Hearty Split Pea Soup with a Surprise
In a few tablespoons of olive
oil, I sauté two large chopped carrots,
two stalks of chopped celery (with leaves if
possible) and one large diced onion,
until soft. Then I add 3 chopped cloves
of garlic, some red pepper flakes, a sprig of rosemary,
a couple sprigs of thyme and 4 large
sage leaves from the garden and a
couple of bay leaves. I mix it all together, add the pound of dry split peas, and then 6 cups of
liquid. I usually use canned chicken broth, but any broth or even
just water could be used.
I bring it to a boil and scoop out any foam that may begin
to accumulate on the top and then lower the heat and let it simmer, covered for one
hour. I check it frequently to see if it
needs more liquid and stir it around a bit.
I watch as the peas begin to soften and wait until it is very soft. Sometimes
it reaches this point in an hour…sometimes it takes as much as 30 minutes
longer. Some people like to puree the
soup at this point, but I do not. We like
it hearty and kind of chunky. I taste it
and season it with salt and pepper, and let it cook slowly for another 10
minutes or so. Then I add my “surprise”…about 1 cup of frozen sweet peas…just dumped into the hot soup. I let it sit covered for a few minutes and
the peas thaw and warm in the hot soup. This is a vegetarian dish but the split peas can also be
cooked with a smoked ham hock or with sautéed diced pancetta or bacon or ham for meat
lovers.
I serve it with grated Italian cheese, a drizzle of olive
oil, and accompanied by slices of Italian bread toasted in a skillet with a
little olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
Today I ventured outside between rain showers and looked at
the garden. Growth is stilled and nature
has entered a time of rest and renewal. It feels calm and right. The days are shorter and everything is
telling me to enter into this autumnal time…to rest, to replenish, to slow
down, to lose myself in the stillness or maybe a good book and eat a bowl of
soup!
So….tonight we will have the left-overs!
