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One more reci-pea to cap off a week of food posts

Dave and I drive down I-5 to the southern part of the state at least once a year to visit my family. Sometimes my sister drives with us. The three of us have a tradition -- no, a ritual -- of stopping at Pea Soup Andersen's in Santa Nella for the Traveler's Special. All-you-can-eat split pea soup and oniony, cheesy poppy-seed dinner rolls.

Sometimes we'll order an overpriced salad or a turkey sandwich, but PSA's is all about the split pea soup. OK, it's also about the giant windmill that beckons from the side of the freeway. And it's about milling around in the gift shop, which offers samples of processed cheese spread and sells car-friendly games, souvenir thimbles, and canned pea soup by the case.

Last year, on our way back home, Dave and I stopped at PSA's for lunch and I bought my sister the Pea Soup Andersen's Cookbook and a giant soup mug for her birthday (which was 11 months away). I dug up the book a few weeks ago as her birthday approached, and before I wrapped it, I copied down the famous soup recipe.

I whipped up a pot of the soup and guess what? It tasted EXACTLY the same as the soup at the restaurant. And it was far better than the canned stuff, which has that metallic canned flavor. It's certainly cheaper than both, as you can make an entire pot of the stuff with ingredients that cost about a dollar.

Andersen's Split Pea Soup
8 cups water
2 cups green split peas
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground thyme
Dash cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Boil vigorously for 20 minutes, then simmer until peas are tender. Press soup through fine sieve (I used a food mill) and reheat just to boiling point. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Delicious! So very easy. And did I mention cheap?

January 6, 2006 3:01 PM