Flickin’ Peas

Flickin’ Peas
by Julie Robarts

This is the story of a boy (now a man).
Eating green peas was just not in his plan.
He tried every ploy to keep them from his mouth,
Hiding them east, west, and north, and, yes, south.
But his one favorite spot for flicking them all
Was the decorative planter hung on the wall.

Many years later, a man strong and sure,
His mother decides to update her decor.
The planter is passed to his bonny young bride
Who inspects it to find many peas stuck inside.
“What is this?” she asks with innocent eyes.
He pauses, then laughs and slaps both his thighs.

“That,” he admits, with a grin ear-to-ear,
“was my secret pea pot for many a year!
My secret is out. I’m totally busted!
Mum, how’d you miss them each time that you dusted?”
The moral, to young ones who might be so tempted,
Choose your spot well, where dusting’s exempted.

There you have it, three stanzas on Mark’s deep-routed dislike for peas, which flows through his DNA like the Amazon through South America. Have you ever seen a person shudder from head to toe as if someone’s walked over his grave? That’s what happens when Mark imagines eating peas. So, why would I even bother to make split pea soup? I guess you could call it a DNA experiment. Are taste buds inherited? I’m not sure, but I kind of assumed that, even though the kids actually like peas, they would take one look at this unfamiliar soup and head for the exits.

I have never been so happy to be wrong

My love of hearty, filling soups is well-documented, and I knew that this soup was a Sure Thing for me. Thick, tasty and filling, it is exactly the right soup for mornings that start out a chilly 39 degrees in the dooryard. But, I am simply giddy over the fact that all three kids found it tasty as well. Phew! I won’t have to worry about them flicking these peas in places where dusting is exempted, which, if you’ve ever been to my house you’d know is pretty much everywhere!

Make it. Love it. Write a poem about it

Split Pea Soup with Ham
adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Serves 8

1) Place the peas in a large pot or bowl, cover with water by 2 inches and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain the peas and set aside.

2) In a large pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

3) Add the ham and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown. Add the drained peas and the remaining ingredients (water through thyme).  Cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. Add more water as needed, if the soup becomes too thick or dry.

4) Remove the bay leaf and discard. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Enjoy!

Tagged as: dried split peas, Emeril Lagasse, food poetry, hearty soup, smoked shoulder recipe, taste buds, Vidalia onions