New York has had a series of disappointing snowstorms in the last couple of weeks... the kind that make you sit inside because instead of sticking to the ground they just melt and slush on impact. Last week some people even had a snow day (which pretty much never happens), although I'm pretty sure that was out of jealousy over Washington D.C. since it barely even snowed and trains were delayed less than they are when it rains. I never thought that living in New York I'd be wishing for snowstorms like they have in the South, but stranger things have happened, right?
Anyway, Mary went off to her skiing in Vermont and I had a not incredibly productive but very relaxing weekend in the city, hanging out with coworkers, watching terrible movies, throwing some pots at the studio and finding a new (to me) speakeasy in my neighborhood. After a visit to the MOMA Monday, split pea soup, a kitten on the lap and a few hours to get work done were just what the doctor ordered. And the best part about this soup is that it only involves about ten minutes of actual work, then two hours of cooking, so you can wander off and cozy up until you get hungry. So without further ado...
Split Pea Soup - Warm up your dutch oven (or regular soup pot) on low heat.
- Saute about five finely chopped cloves of garlic in a little olive oil, adding one chopped white onion when they are getting translucent.
- When the onion is translucent, add three chopped leeks (white and light green parts only) and one or two large chopped carrots
- Add 2lbs of dried split peas and fill the pot with broth to about 2 inches below the rim (I used home-made broth from a chicken I roasted earlier in the weekend, this time with the addition of LEMON which was phenomenal, but if you're not using home-made broth, at this point I would also throw in a few sprigs of rosemary, thyme and oregano, and one whole lemon, cut in half)
- Cover and let simmer for about two hours, adding water if necessary, until peas are mushy and delicious
- After about an hour and a half, add in the leaves of one bunch of swiss chard, torn into bite sized pieces.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve!
Alayner, what a nice weekend that sounds like. As I said, I tried to pry a ham bone off my mom but she wouldn't give it to me. Ugh. (To our readers, Alayna and I then decided that the best thing to do is to buy and split an entire ham and bone. This is what we gchat about, folks.) Anyway, I'm excited to try it!
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