Pea Soup

My stomach is growling and I despair of finding any real food for sometime to come. The hunger is somewhat welcome compared to the lack of appetite that dogged me yesterday. A vague depression has been building over the last week and I am hoping that a reminder to "remember who I am", and the possibility that I might be seen for that person may have turned the tide for the time being.

Despite my lack of appetite, I had some pea soup last night around 7p. I had brought the split peas to a boil late morning with some bay leaves then returned them to very low heat mid-afternoon (if you cook the peas slowly and long enough you don't have to mess around with pureeing them). Sometime around 5p I browned some potatoes (sliced the way Z's Mom used to do it) and carrots with onion, garlic, thyme, a bit of basil and celery seed, paprika, and a bit of cayenne. Those go in the pot with the peas to finish cooking. Low heat yields potatoes more or less intact. The challenge is getting the carrots cooked.

The soup is left behind for Zora and Rachel to have for dinner tonight while I am in Pittsburgh. I wonder if Z will notice the potatoes...