Are you over the onslaught of Thanksgiving dinners, tables buckling under the weight of
the wonderful and excessive dishes?  Can you believe it's Black Friday and the Holiday
Season is now in full swing?  Well that means that Winter is on it's way.  In many parts
of America, this was a week of wild weather, cold, and snow, up in Vancouver in Canada
as well.  Cold weather turns a cooks head towards big pots of soup...a busy family can
make a soup a day head of time, or more, and have a one pot meal, with a salad, and
maybe some toasty buttery rolls without making a big mess of the kitchen.  After all, weren't
you just on line outside of Best Buy since 4am?  A favorite soup of mine is Split Pea and
Ham, an American classic.  However, in the Scandanavian country of Sweden, this soup
is a National Treasure, made on Thursdays and served with Swedish pancakes and a
berry jam.  The yellow pea is used, and the soup is called ARTSOPPA.  Back when Sweden
was a Catholic country, Fridays were a fasting day (for today's Catholics this tradition only
applies to Lenten Fridays) and really were strict.  It wasn't a no meat day only, it was a day
of austere fasting..only one meal, and a meager one at that.  So Thursday's meal neces-
sitated a hearty filling soup to stave off hunger and actually warmed one up during the long
winters.  The picture above is by the Swedish artist, Carl Larsson, this one being his
Christmas Eve done between 1904-1905.  I thought it was representative of my idea of
a warming Swedish dining scene.
   Rinse a bag of Yellow Split peas
after you have picked them over for any stones.  Let cold water run over them for a few minutes.
Drain.  Chop one cup of smoked ham, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery and in a little vegetable oil,
saute' the ham first to release some of it's flavor and a little of the fat.  When the ham is a bit seared,
add the vegetables and saute' until soft, maybe 8 minutes or so.
  Add 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 tsp.
ground ginger 1 bay leaf, and blend.   Then add 4 cups of stock or water, then the peas.  Bring this to
a boil, then reduce to medium, just under boiling.  Stir well and check every 10 minutes or so until
the soup has thickened up. Make sure to season with salt and white pepper to taste after you've added
the water/stock.   Crumble in 1 tsp. of dried marjoram.
                                                                                                    

The soup should cook for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until it is the consistency of refried beans.
Your taste buds are the best judge of doneness.  If the soup becomes too thick for your liking, just
a little water or stock to thin it out. I like it thick and Winter-hearty.  A tasty garnish is to crush a few
caraway seeds and place a swirl of brown  or coarse brown mustard on the top. 
Check your seasoning before serving, and sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.  Fresh
thyme is VERY easy to find in any major supermarket now.  I do not suggest using
dried for this, it will give the soup a poultry seasoned or stuffing flavor.  Not what you
are looking for.  Some subsitutions definitely change the flavor profile of the dish...like
dried basil...that will turn your Pasta sauce from delicious to Pizza Hut in a NY second.
Hopefully this gives you an idea for a Nov-Dec-Jan-Feb winter supper or lunch idea,
and btw, the health benefits from Yellow split peas are excellent.