new column: Monday's Weeknight Supper - a hearty, smokey split pea soup recipe

Many of you have been reading my new
 Friday's Why In Design column  
as well as my other posts here on 
Nest by Tamara.  

For all you "foodie" friends, 
I am adding another regular column called 
Monday's Weekday Supper. 
These are simple recipes that I have been making at home for years.  
All are delicious and easy to prepare during the busy work week, 
because, well, our lives are full!  

Stop back every Monday to start your week with  my recipe ideas. 

Monday's Weekday Supper
Part I: a cozy, hurricane smoky split pea soup

topped with garlic croutons

 &amp, and a light salad

Growing up my mom was a busy, single parent.  In addition to raising three kids, she worked full-time, while moonlighting in the evenings to obtain her graduate degrees.  On the weekends in between her many activities, mom would often rise early and put on a pot of stew or soup.  During a time without the modern conveniences of today’s lifestyle, my mother figured out how to juggle it all for her family. She would freeze her weekend cooking so we had hot, homemade meals all week long.

During one of NYC’s biggest storms in many years, I  pulled out mom's recipe card index box to make this flavorful, yet easy soup.  In between sledding and weekend activities, I prepared this soup with homemade garlic croutons on top, coupled with a light salad 
and Gruyere grilled cheese sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Judy’s split pea soup

I 16 oz package of cut split peas (Jamsal Valley split peas from Dean & Deluca)

Note:  you can use yellow or green peas or a combination, but I used green only.  
Unlike other beans or legumes, split peas do not need to be pre-soaked, requiring less prep time.

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 TBS oregano

A generous few pinches cracked black pepper

A generous few pinches sea salt

3 cups diced carrots

2 potatoes chopped (unpeeled - I used 6 small fingerling potatoes)

note:  the potatoes give the soup a bit of thickness

8 cups broth (either chicken stock or combination of water and stock)

one ham hock (ask your local butcher - sometimes they'll have it in the back)
note:  you can keep the ham hock in the freezer to pop into soups
1/2 Cup oaky California Chardonnay
during the last 45 minutes soup starts to stick to the bottom, keep your eye on it, stirring often

Directions:

In a large pot saute onion in olive oil with herbs until for 10 minutes on medium. 

During the last minute add the garlic (don’t want garlic to overcook and will put out a burnt taste).  Add half of the peas, the ham hock and stock and boil for 45 minutes on medium heat stirring every few minutes.  Add the rest of the split peas and cook for one hour more - the last 20 minutes add the wine and stir every couple of minutes.  Serve Hot with a sprinkle of homemade croutons on top.

easy to make homemade croutons:

day old loaf of french bread

cut into cubes

spread out on a cookie sheet

a light coating of olive oil, slivers of garlic, cracked pepper and sea salt

bake in the oven turning often for 10 minutes on 300 degrees

thoughts on making an incredibly delicious salad:

I buy fresh, French goat cheese, then I toast Spanish pignoli (pine) nuts in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil for a smoky flavor, and add it to a medley of lettuces and whatever fresh vegetables I have in the refrigerator.  Toasting the pine nuts gives it an extra nutty flavor.  The success of a salad, however, is in the dressing.  

although this olive oil is expensive I save it for fresh salads, 

and use a less expensive olive oil for cooking

I invest in a quality olive oil for my salads (the Italian brand, Francoia is my favorite but there are many good olive oils) and a quality bottle of sherry vinegar to combine with herbs, maybe a squeeze of a fresh lemon or a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar, fresh pepper and kosher salt.  
Toss it just before you serve and don't overcoat the salad!.  

Enjoy your 
Weekday Supper
and 
Happy Nesting XO
please see below some affiliated advertisements I have recently added to each post.  I chose items that relate to the story, hoping they enhance my editorials.  I am trying this out, and each of the ads I have chosen I will either order myself or have ordered in the past, therefore I feel comfortable giving my endorsement and curiosity to the product.  I hope you enjoy!