Split Pea Soup Hearty and Flavorful 2 cups dried split peas 6 cups water 2 8-inch sticks of kombu (optional sea vegetable--see note) 1½ lbs smoked pork shank or smoked pork hocks (see note) 2 medium-sized yellow onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 carrots, sliced 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1-1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Wash and sort peas. Combine all ingredients in a pressure cooker. Bring to pressure (15 pounds) and cook 30 minutes. Allow pressure to come down gradually. If you don't have a pressure cooker, bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer covered for 1½ to 2 hours or until peas are soft. Remove pork shank or hocks and separate meat from bone and fat. Chop up meat and return to pot. Freezes well. Notes: Look for smoked pork shanks or smoked pork hocks in the meat case at Cub Foods or Rainbow. Kombu adds minerals and mild flavor and helps make the beans less "gassy". It is available in the health food sections of grocery stores, food coops, and in health food stores. If the kombu is very dry, break it up into little bits when you put it in the pot. If you put it in whole, you can remove it at the end of cooking and no one will be the wiser. Made by Judy S. for the October 2004 potluck.

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