split pea soup with ham, vegetables and herbs

I adore split pea soup, but for years it simply did not agree with me. Finally, I came up with a recipe that included a hefty amount of fresh and dried herbs, vegetables, flash-cooked frozen peas, and a cup or so of ham that soothed the tummy and made for one lovely soup on a winter's day. So, as you squeak through the below-zero temps and snow, you have this gorgeous soup waiting in the kitchen - not a bad thing at all.

In this recipe, frozen peas are simply tossed into the hot soup just before pureeing - it just takes a minute or two for them to cook. But, if you need peas for an entree or side, just pour boiling water over a bowl of frozen peas, wait two minutes, then drain and serve. They'll be very close to the taste ( and color) of fresh peas.

To make a large pot for 6 or more:

1 cup dried green split peas

2 bay leaves

water to cover plus 3 inches or so

*

1 cup sliced carrots ( I used baby carrots)

1 cup washed sliced celery

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 cup peeled, diced potato

1 cup or so of ham, diced

1 T. butter

1/2 cup chopped parsley, Italian or curly

1 T. thyme, dried

freshly ground pepper

1 T. fresh or dried rosemary, minced or crushed

1/4 t. hot pepper flakes

1 t. cumin

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas

1 t. thyme ( again)

salt to taste

To the cup of dried peas, add two bay leaves and water to cover plus 3 inches or so. Bring to a boil, then take off heat for an hour. After an hour, remove bay leaves, then add the carrots, celery, onion, potato, ham, butter, parsley, thyme, pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and rosemary. Add 1 cup water, or more to just cover and simmer 45 minutes, making sure the soup is not scorching. If it looks thick, add a little more water. Add the fresh or frozen peas, stir, and take off heat. Using an immersion blender stick, ( or a regular blender or food processor), puree, taste, and add the teaspoon of thyme, and more salt or pepper to taste. Voila! One beautiful hearty winter soup!

cornmeal pancakes ( after the snow)

We recently had quite a snowstorm - over 20 inches of beautiful snow! The stone walls are blanketed, and the boulders deep in the woods are looking like hibernating elephants. The last few days have also been chilly - yesterday was -2 when I got up, and it never got above 20 degrees, although the day was partly sunny. All that shovelling meant I was ravenous - and not for my usual poached eggs, either!

While I adore my apple pancakes, I was out of apples, so I cobbled together these cornmeal pancakes from an old recipe in Joy of Cooking. I wanted to try a fruit sauce, and, having just cleaned out the freezer and found some strawberries tucked away in the back, stirred up a quick strawberry sauce with a little lemon juice and sugar. It was delicious, but the last of the maple syrup was even better! I made "silver dollar" pancakes - bigger than a silver dollar at 4 inches, but smaller than my usual 8 inch pancakes. There's something about a stack of pancakes that is immensely satisfying - and these stacked easily.

To make about 20 four inch pancakes:

1 cup cornmeal

1 t. salt

3 T. sugar or honey or maple syrup

1 cup boiling water

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

3 T. melted butter

1/2 cup plus 2 T. King Arthur all purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

Place the cornmeal, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then pour in the boiling water and stir. let sit for ten minutes.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk and melted butter together, then add to the cornmeal mixture.

Stir in the flour, beat quickly ( a few lumps are ok), then add the baking powder.

*

Heat a skillet or griddle, and, using a paper towel, rub with canola oil.

Measure out about 2 T. batter for each pancake. Serve with soft butter and warm maple syrup and enjoy!

You might also like these fresh apple pancakes.

simple onion soup with thyme, black pepper, and smoked gouda

When I noticed the sprouting onion in the onion basket this morning, I happily stirred up a batch of Craig Claibourne-inspired quick onion soup ( and no, I didn't use the sprouting onion, which can often be bitter). When Craig had been placed on a low-fat diet toward the end of his life, he published a recipe for a quick, lemony onion soup that instantly became a favorite of mine. I lost the recipe, but managed to make a similar soup that is perfect for these snowy, cold days. While I do use a little butter, it's in moderation, as is the melty cheese&crouton topping. Please note that the onions are cooked in two batches - one is sauteed until very soft, the other batch is added toward the end of the soup making, which is more al dente; a nice combination.

Makes about 3 servings

~

4 medium-large onions, peeled and sliced

2 T. unsalted butter

4 cups beef stock

1/4 t. coarsely ground pepper

1 t. dried thyme

pinch or two of kosher salt

1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

Melt the butter in a skillet, then add HALF the onions to the butter, and stir well. Saute for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden.

Heat the four cups of beef stock in a saucepan and add the sauteed onions to the hot stock. Deglaze the onion skillet with a tablespoon or two of the stock, then add to the saucepan as well.

Add the pepper, thyme and salt to the stock and onions and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and the rest of the onions to the stock. Simmer another 20 minutes, then ladle into heat-proof bowls. Top each bowl with toasted croutons and a tablespoon or two of the cheeses. Place under a broiler until the cheese melts and serve immediately.

for the croutons:

1 T. olive oil

about a cup of bread cubes, cut in 1/2 " squares

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and toss in the bread cubes. Saute and stir until bread cubes are crunchy and browned.

For the cheese topping:

4 T. grated mozzarella

2 T. grated smoked gouda

Enjoy your day!

tender chicken meatloaf with rosemary and thyme

Yesterday, I was musing over the two chicken breasts in the fridge. Stir fry? One-pot chicken? Then a longing for tender, moist meatloaf suddenly poked me, and this is the result.

This is the kind of recipe you make in your pyjamas - either late at night, or early in the morning. Mix it up, press into a loaf pan, and place in the fridge until you're ready to bake it, leaving plenty of time for a long hike on snowshoes. Knowing you have dinner premade certainly makes for a hassle-free end of the day.

Serves 4, give or take.

2 T. olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 large clove of garlic, pressed

~

2 T. tomato paste

1/3 cup white wine

1 T. olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter

~

1 extra large egg

1/2 t. kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs ( I used a chunk of rosemary bread and grated it)

1 large chicken breast, cut into chunks, then put in a food processor for 4 pulses

(it will be thick and pasty and should be about 1 cup almost-puree)

1 t. dried thyme

1 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes ( save 1/2 cup of the juices to pour on top of the meatloaf)

1 t. dried basil

1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped

~

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 10 minutes on medium heat. Remove to a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 T. olive oil and 1 T. unsalted butter in the same skillet, then stir in the tomato paste and white wine. Cook for a few minutes, remove from heat, and pour over the onion mixture.

Add to the onion/tomato paste/wine mixture the breadcrumbs, chicken, egg, parsley, salt and pepper, cheese, thyme, tomatoes and basil.

Press the mixture into an oiled loaf pan, then drizzle the half cup of tomato juices over the top. At this point you can either cover it and place in the fridge, or place in a preheated 350F oven. Bake for one hour.

Remove from oven and let sit for 20 minutes, then cut into slices and serve. Instead of ketchup, a few tablespoons of warm tomato juices drizzled on the slices is even better.

Enjoy!

brown sugar banana cupcakes for the New Year!

Happy New Year to all! Above you see the grand and splashy sunset last night, with the sun going down between two mountains. I wasn't the only one that had the sudden thought to stand in a high place to wave goodbye to 2010 - there were four other people and two lively dogs, snuffling around in the snow, looking for - well, dogs always seem to find something exciting wherever they go.

This morning, I decided to make what is now becoming a tradition - New Year's cupcakes, but this time I chose to make a fluffy, moist banana and brown sugar cupcake (divine), and lots of that pale, shell pink cream cheese icing everyone loves so much. So even if the day is a little gray and gloomy, these cupcakes are waving their sprinkles and tooting their horns.

To make cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place cupcake papers in a traditional 12 cup muffin tin,

although this recipe makes only 7 cupcakes.

Adapted from Cupcakes, by S. Kaldunski

~

1 1/4 cups cake flour

3/4 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

pinch of kosher salt

1 large or two small ripe bananas

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. lemon zest

2 T. sour cream

1 T. milk

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 extra large egg

1/2 t. vanilla extract

~

Using a sieve, sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Mash the bananas, sour cream, milk, lemon zest, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix on low.

Fold in the mashed banana mixture gently.

Using a regular size ice cream scoop, fill cupcake liners about 3/4ths full.

Bake approximately 25-30 minutes, or until cupcakes are firm to the touch when gently pressed in the middle of their tops.

Let cool five minutes, then remove cupcakes from cupcake tin to a cooling rack. Let cool for at least an hour before frosting.

The Cream Cheese frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened ( the smaller size)
1 stick ( 8 T.) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 t. fresh lemon juice
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 drop red food coloring

Beat all the ingredients together until very creamy. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and , beginning at the edges of the cupcakes, squeeze the frosting round and round, pulling up at the end. Sprinkle with pretty edible doodads.

~
So, what's up with your brand new life? Musings, meditations, job searches? I suspect in addition to all of those, this may be the Year of the New Dog, having accidently picked up now THREE books about women and their dogs; the universe must be trying to tell me something.
Blessings and love to all, and hopes this will be a wonderful year for you, full of love, joy, and walking the dog.

The dog books:
let's take the long way home by gail caldwell
scent of the missing ( search and rescue dogs) by susannah charleson
and abigail thomas' a three dog life

Welcoming the New Year with Hoppin' John

Who couldn't use a little good luck in the New Year? While traditionally a Southern New Year's Day dish to encourage prosperity in the brand new year, there's no reason you can't grab a little luck of your own , no matter where you live, with a bowlful of Hoppin' John.

While Hoppin' John is usually made with everything from salt pork, ham hocks, bacon, pork belly or chunks of ham, I've always preferred it plain and simple: Uncle Ben's rice, black-eyed peas, a little parsley or cilantro that symbolizes money and good fortune, maybe a few juicy slices of Portuguese linguica ( talk about culture clash!), and a bottle of Tabasco on the side. If you want the more traditional gumbo-like recipe similar to the bottom picture, you can find the basics here.

Hoppin' John

Makes about 5 servings.

For the black-eyed peas:

1 1/2 cups dried black -eyed peas
2 bay leaves

1/2 t. oregano

water to cover

Soak the peas in cold water for 30 minutes, along with the bay leaves and oregano.

Bring to a simmer on medium heat and cook about 30 minutes. Black-eyed peas turn mushy fast, so keep your eye on the pot.

Drain and drizzle with olive oil.

For the rice:

1 cup Uncle Ben's Original converted long grain rice

2 1/2 cups water

2 T. butter or olive oil

1/2 t. kosher salt

a few turns of the peppermill

Place the rice, butter or oil, salt, and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, take of heat, and cover again. The rice will become even fluffier after sitting for ten minutes.

The green:

a few tablespoons snipped cilantro or parsley or a helping of cooked collards, kale, or rapini

~

Happy New Year to you all! Hope it's a grand one ♥

fresh apple scones in a blizzard

We are in the middle of a blizzard . Luckily, the snow is fine and dry, and huge swirls of snow are blowing across the roads and fields, and when it meets an obstacle, like a door or house, the drifts pile up. So much snow had piled against the front door, I spent a half hour trying to get it open. But so far, we still have power, so , after a little shovelling, I raced to the kitchen to make a special breakfast, just to celebrate. I was going to make an apple pie, but thought it might never finish baking if the power went off. How about a tender-crumbed apple scone, studded with juicy fresh apple chunks and sprinkled with cinnamon? 25 minutes later, I was biting into this delicious oats and apple scone.

Oats and Apple scones

~

Makes 8 scones.

Preheat oven to 360F (375 is a little hot with my oven)

A baking sheet, no need to grease

1 1/2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats ( not instant)

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed firmly

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. kosher salt

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 t. vanilla

1 cup peeled and diced apple

1/2 cup plus 2 T. buttermilk

~

Preheat oven to 360F.

In mixer bowl, mix together the flour and oats, then the brown sugar, salt, and baking powder and cinnamon.

Add the cut up butter and mix until well incorporated.

Add the apples and mix, then add the buttermilk and vanilla, and mix just until it forms a ball.

Pat the dough into a circle on a lightly floured surface.

Cut dough circle into eight triangles and place on baking sheet, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes, remove, and cool briefly.

Slather with butter or jam, or apple butter and enjoy warm.

~

Here's hoping all you New Englanders are safe and warm!