I Am A Student of Nature - Autumnal Lessons

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!