Split Pea Soup with Ham by Barbara Ross

Ingredients

1 meaty ham bone
12 cups water
1 small onion, chopped roughly
2 carrots, chopped roughly
2 stalks celery, chopped roughly
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
2 14oz. package of yellow or green split peas
Optional: 2 additional carrots, diced

Remove as much visible fat and tough skin from the ham bone as possible. Carve off and dice larger pieces of meat clinging to the bone. Set aside.

Place ham bone into large stockpot with the water.

Add chopped onion, two chopped carrots, celery, garlic, and a liberal sprinkling of salt and ground pepper. Add split peas to the pot.

Bring water to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cook gently for 1-1½ hours until the peas are thoroughly softened. Stir frequently. Continue cooking for another hour. Remove pot from heat source and let soup cool

Remove ham bone and the chunks of celery, carrot, and onion.
Optional: put soup through food processor for a smoother, creamier texture.

With the pea soup in the pot, add chopped ham and the optional two diced carrots.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

About the Book

An autumn chill has settled over Busman’s Harbor, Maine, but Julia Snowden is warming up the town by offering lobster stew at the local diner. When her landlord discovers a dead body in the walk-in refrigerator, Julia must figure out who ordered up a side of murder.

Nothing’s colder than a corpse—especially one stashed inside a sub-zero fridge. The victim spent his last night on earth dining at the restaurant bar, so naturally Julia finds herself at the center of the ensuing investigation. Lost in the November fog, however, is who’d want to kill the unidentified stranger—and why. It might have something to do with a suspicious group of retirees and a decades-old tragedy to which they’re all connected. One thing’s for sure: Julia’s going to make solving this mystery her early bird special…

About the Author