East Indian Split Pea Soup

A good split pea soup is one of winter's greatest pleasures.   My mom made it often when I was growing up and she still reigns as the Pea Soup (or Sea Poup, thanks Dad) Queen.  Hers used to be made with a meaty ham bone, but is now most often vegetarian, thick with sweet potato, celery, onions and carrot and spiced up with toasted cumin. At the Cafe, we've spiked our version with everything from pulled pork to maple sausage, always to good reviews.

Last week I was making shrimp curry for our buffet and wanted a soup to complement it.  Usually I make dhal, an East Indian dish often made with red lentils.  We had no lentils, but we did have lots of green split peas, and so this recipe was born.

This time last year: Cream of Valley Mushroom Soup

East Indian Split Pea Soup

You can serve this soup as is, or have fun topping it: I suggest a dollop of plain yogurt, a spoonful of mango chutney, some chopped cilantro, a few toasted cashews...


1 lb. Split Peas (Mom says yellow, I say green)
12 C. Water
1 T. Oil
1 T. Mustard Seeds
1 large Onion, diced
1 T. freshly grated Ginger
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 t. Turmeric
2 t. ground Cumin
1 T. Salt
1 medium Sweet Potato, diced
1 large Potato, diced
2 large Carrots, diced
1 large handful Spinach, chopped (optional)
1 T. Garam Masala (a blend of sweet spices, EOS and Superstore have it)

In a large pot, bring the peas and water to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour, until the peas are mostly tender.  Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium high heat and pour in the oil.  Add the mustard seeds.  They will toast and begin popping after a minute or so.  Reduce the heat to medium, then stir in the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about five minutes.  Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin and salt, and cook for a minute before adding the sweet potato, potato, and carrot.  Cook, stirring often, for five minutes, then shut off the heat.  When the split peas are almost tender, add the spice and vegetable mix to the pot.  Simmer for a half hour (the peas should mostly have fallen apart at this point), then check for salt and stir in the spinach and garam masala.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp with Asparagus and Snow Peas

This time last year: Summer Solstice Soup of Greens and White Beans


My garden is coming along nicely!  I've picked lots of asparagus and spinach, eaten plenty of tender baby green salads and (yes) one ripe strawberry.  Bunches of  self-seeded parsley, cilantro, mint and green garlic have leapt up in random places, too.  I had the kind of lazy Sunday that only happens a few times a year yesterday, and it was just Sean and I for supper.  I had spent the day reading cookbooks and found a recipe for Sweet and Spicy Shrimp, an appetizer from Julie Van Rosendaal's Grazing cookbook (buy this book!  It's chock-full of amazing flavours).  I was hoping I could turn it into a main course using up some of the stuff in my garden, plus some glorious green onions and snow peas I picked up at the Berwick Farmer's Market.  It worked beautifully.  Here are the delicious and easy results:

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp with Asparagus and Snow Peas

1/4 C. Sugar
2 T. Water
2 T. Fish Sauce
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 lb. Tiger Shrimp
2 t. Oil
1/2 medium Onion,  sliced
1/2 lb. Asparagus, cut in 1" lengths
1 C. Snow Peas, tops removed
3 Green Onions, white parts cut in 1" lengths, green parts thinly sliced
8 C. Baby Greens or Mesclun
2 T. chopped Cilantro
2 T. chopped Mint (optional, but yummy)

Combine the sugar, water and fish sauce in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and add the garlic and the shrimp.  Cook, stirring near constantly, until shrimp are pink.  Remove from the heat and drain, reserving the sauce.  In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat and add the onion.  Cook and stir a minute, then add the asparagus, snow peas, and white parts of the green onions.  Stir-fry until asparagus is just this side of tender, then turn off the heat and add half the reserved sauce to the pan.  Place the greens in a large bowl and toss with the remaining sauce.  Divide the greens between two plates, then top with the stir-fry.  Arrange the shrimp on top, then sprinkle with the sliced green onions, the cilantro and the mint.

Sugar Snap Peas

My Uncle John was the first professional chef I ever met. The youngest of my mother's six siblings, John is now a dietician but still gives great advice when I'm stumped in my own kitchen. In fact, for a brief time, he had an apartment above the restaurant and I enjoyed him stopping in almost daily for a chat. I don't see him nearly so often anymore, but think of him whenever I'm frying fish or preparing sugar snap peas.

One summer, the sugar snaps were fattening up in the garden when John came to visit. I was probably about ten. My father, who is an incredibly enthusiastic gardener, is a Sugar Snap Pea Lover, and babies those things until they produce so many peas, no one knows what to do with them. At the time, my mom was following the Weight Watchers program and her and John were struggling to come up with a plan for turning a pile of peas into a side dish for dinner. John was suggesting a cream sauce, and that obviously wasn't going to fit the bill. There was a small argument about butter, and John won by assuring her he would only use a small amount. I'm not sure where he got the idea for making peas this way, but once we tasted them that night, we never went back. Yes, raw peas are great, but these are amazing. After a brief stir-fry in butter, these peas are sweeter, greener, and even Pea-ier than straight from the vine. Warm throughout, but practically still raw, they are pure sunshine in a bowl.

Sugar snap peas are available at farmer's markets in pints or by the pound. Buy a couple pints for this recipe, so you can snack on some while you drive home. You can sometimes find immaculate peas, but don't let a little white scarring scare you away. As long as the peas seem fresh and crisp, the scars will disappear in cooking. To get them ready for cooking or just popping in your mouth, snap the stem towards the curved side of the pea, then peel the string away with it.

Sugar Snap Peas in Brown Butter (serves 4-6)

1 lb. Sugar Snap Peas, stemmed and stringed
1 T. Butter (but you can use a little less if you like)
a pinch of Salt

Heat a wide frying pan over medium high heat for a couple minutes. Add the butter, and let it melt. After another minute, throw in the peas. They should sizzle immediately. Stir or toss until peas are bright green, glossy, and hot throughout. A little browning adds even more flavour! Sprinkle with just a pinch of salt and serve.

Honey Curry Dip

We throw two official staff parties every year-one in January after the craziness of Christmas parties has died down, and the other on Canada Day, just before the craziness of summer begins. There's also a Halloween party whenever someone has the desire to spearhead it. Union Street Cafe's staff are a family, albeit somewhat dysfunctional, and we truly love one another. Just as we're getting on each others' nerves, a little festive fun time can lift everyone's spirits and help us remember it's just a restaurant we work at, not an emergency room.
Of course, food figures into the fun even more then drink, so a couple weeks beforehand, I dream up some tasty snacks that bear almost no resemblance to what we serve at work. This past Thursday, that meant Greek Chicken Pitas, Vietnamese Meatball Sandwiches, miniature Hamburgers and a veggie tray with a super yummy and somehow retro-tasting Honey Curry Dip. I highly recommend it with the sweet little Sugar Snap Peas that are hitting their stride right about now.
I can also tell you that mayonnaise, being so utterly commonplace, becomes somewhat of a miracle (and I don't mean Whip) when made with your five year old son and two year old nephew. For that kind of fun, take one Egg and put it in a blender or food processor. Add a big pinch of Salt and a teaspoon of Dijon, plus a teaspoon of Vinegar or Lemon Juice. Get the motor running, then drizzle in 1½ cups Canola Oil very slowly. Watch their amazement (and maybe even your own) as the mayonnaise thickens before your very eyes! Then use it in this dip, and refrigerate the rest for your sandwiches, potato salad or perhaps licking off the spoon (you know who you are).

Honey Curry Dip
1 T. Curry Powder
1 T. Canola Oil
1 C. Sour Cream
½ C. Mayonnaise
¼ C. Honey (I use Foote Family Farms)
½ t. Salt
¼ C, Chopped Cilantro (optional, but highly recommended)

Heat the oil with the curry powder over medium high heat in a small skillet. After a minute or so ,the mixture will foam and smell very aromatic. (This step will absolutely elevate your dip above all other curry concoctions). Remove it from the heat. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, honey and salt, and scrape in the curry and oil mixture. Add the cilantro and serve with assorted veggies, crackers (rice crackers are especially good) or potato chips. After chilling, the dip is thick enough to be a delicious condiment for burgers or folded into diced chicken, cranberries, celery and green onion for a killer Chicken Curry Salad.

I have personally banned this dip from my refrigerator since I cannot resist its call, but if you make a batch, please invite me over.

Hodge Podge

My Nova Scotia Garden in June

Do you know what Hodge Podge is? Then chances are, you are from Atlantic Canada. Though I'm not exactly sure where the exact culinary boundaries are, it's safe to say that my friends from Nova Scotia say "yum!" while those from elsewhere say "huh?". Hodge Podge is a wonderful perfectly seasonal mix of new-from-the-garden (or market) vegetables, napped with a creamy sauce. I think the rules are usually potatoes, carrots, peas and beans, although asparagus, spinach, onions and just about any fresh vegetable should be welcome. Last week, my dear friend Alexis killed her chickens and brought me one. I roasted it with fresh herbs, made my first batch of Hodge Podge of the year, and dug in. Bliss!

Hodge Podge serves 4-6
1 lb. New Potatoes, halved if large
1 lb. New Carrots, cut into thick slices
1/2 lb. Sugar Snap Peas, stems removed (or use 1/2 lb shelled peas)
1 lb. Green or Yellow Beans, stems removed and snapped in half
2 T. Butter
2 T. All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 C. Milk
1/2 t. Salt
Pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the potatoes and carrots. After 10 minutes, check the potatoes. When they are almost tender, add the beans. Simmer for another few minutes, then turn off the heat and add the peas. Leave while you make the sauce. Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the butter, and when it has melted, whisk in the flour. When it is smooth, slowly add the milk, whisking all the while. Continue cooking until mixture bubbles and thickens. Season with the salt and add pepper to taste. Drain the cooked vegetables, saving a little water for thinning. Add to the pot containing the sauce and combine thoroughly, adding cooking water if necessary.
Now that you have your basic Hodge Podge (try it like this first if you've never had it before) you can go crazy with variations. Try stirring in a couple tablespoons of pesto, or chopped fresh herbs. Add asparagus with the beans, or chopped spinach with the peas. If you grow garlic and have scapes to use up, chop them and add with the beans.
Best of all, cut a roasted chicken from your neighbour into serving pieces. Load up your plate with Hodge Podge, then top with a piece of chicken and a spoonful of the roasting juices from the pan.