On a soup roll..

It is soup weather.  The last few days have been dull and grey and it was seven degrees when I went to tennis this morning.  Seven.  At ten a.m.  All we ask for is just a little bit of sunshine.

No wonder the roses look miserable, they are on their last legs.  The damp and often humid summer really knocked them around and the autumn roses have been disappointing.  At least the nerines are looking pretty.

Back to the soup.  Sorry to do soup again but due to the camera breakage I am a bit behind with my photos.  I always make pea and ham soup out of the remains of the Christmas ham.  I usually freeze it in a plastic bag and make it later, because a) it's too hot for soup and b) we are over ham after the Christmas flourish.  You can also buy ham hocks from the butcher for this.

Soak the split peas overnight or for several hours in cold water.

PEA 'N HAM SOUP

300g green split peas (if you use more you will get a thicker soup)

1 ham bone

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 parsnip, roughly chopped

2 sticks of celery, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tblsp brown sugar

Soak the peas as above.  The next day, combine the ham bone, strained peas, carrot, onion, parsnip, celery, bay leaf and brown sugar in a large pot.

As you can see the jambon is a bit big for the pot.

Cover with water  and simmer gently for about three hours.

Allow to cool enough to handle the ham.  Take it out and chop the ham into small pieces.  Roughly mash the vegetables and refrigerate or freeze.

A bit of chopped parsley and some crusty bread is all it needs.

The other thing I wanted to show you was the roast chicken requested by the boarding school refugee before he went back after the holidays:

We have a Weber rotisserie and it does the most amazing chicken, pork and lamb that you are likely to taste.  It was the last supper, as it were, so he also requested chocolate souffle: