Squirreling Away

I found myself harvesting oregano, sage, and thyme…taking cuttings from the plants outside and hanging them inside to dry…like a squirrel hiding away goodies for tomorrow. When the days are colder and the herb plants are resting underground, I can still enjoy their flavor. I was inspired to bring in the cuttings when I realized I needed thyme for my home-made split pea soup, but didn’t have any dried in the cabinet. I made a double batch of soup, imagining how tasty it would be on a cold evening not so long from now. Yes, today was a day of squirreling away. I enjoyed the wonderful smells each time I came in from outside (where I spent the afternoon working in the yard – but, no, I was not digging holes in the ground to plant nuts).

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water
• 1 pound of dried split peas
• 2 medium onions (diced)
• 2 medium carrots (sliced into thin rounds)
• 1 large potato (cooked and mashed, or shredded raw)
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Ham (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Soak peas in water overnight, drain and rinse.
2. Put peas and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
3. Add onions, carrots, potato, thyme, salt and pepper. Add ham, if desired.
4. Cook on medium for approx 2 hours.

Note: I usually use an extra carrot and twice as much of the spices.