Sunday - October 30, 2011

This will tick my sisters off

It’s fall! You know what happens in the fall? You don’t? The answer is I start cooking. Specifically hearty soups. So I got ready last night. Thawed out two smoked ham hocks. Had the wife buy me a pound of dried split peas. And here we go!

1 lb dried split green peas
2 cups diced ham (2 smoked ham hocks: trust me, the diced ham doesn’t do it.)
2 quarts ham stock (chicken stock works as well. Don’t have either? Plain old water works.)
1 small onion, finely minced
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon savory
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt

In a 4 or 5-quart crock pot, combine the peas, ham, onion, carrot, potatos, ham stock, savory, thyme, and salt. Cover.
Cook on low-heat for 10-12 hours, or high-heat for 4-5 hours.

You know what I love? She comes home from work and tells me how jealous all the girls are about her having home-made soup. She sticks it in the microwave and the smell just permeates. The only thing that makes this better is a loaf of home-made bread. If anybody’s interested, I’ll post that recipe.

UPDATE:

I’m with you Drew. Haven’t tried sourdough. It’s on my list. But this goes well too.

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit - 5 - 10 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.
Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Makes 1 loaf.

Yeah, it’s a yeast bread, but you don’t have to kneed it. Just one rise.

I really doubt you can do better than smoked ham hock split pea soup with this bread.

Posted by Christopher     on 10/30/2011 at 01:57 PM   
Filed Under: • Personal •  
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