Martha's Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped medium onion
4 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bag (16 ounces) green split peas, picked over and rinsed
Ham bone plus 2 cups reserved ham from the recipe Glazed Ham with Apricot-Mustard Sauce cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

In a Dutch oven or 5-quart heavy pot with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add broth, split peas, ham bone, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and partially cover; simmer until peas are soft, 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make croutons: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Remove and discard bone from soup. Working in batches, puree only 1/2 the soup in a blender (don't overfill); return to pot. Add ham cubes, and simmer until heated through. If necessary, thin with water. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve topped with croutons.

I used regular vegetable oil and did not add the lemon juice. This was still extremely good. Glo and Geoff gave it five stars. Oh, and I also used chicken bouillion cubes instead of broth. ~Mom

Martha's Glazed Ham with Apricot-Mustard Sauce

7 pounds (about half of a bone-in) cured smoked ham, (butt end), room temperature
2 cups apricot jam
1/4 cup mustard powder
Butter for aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil; place roasting rack in pan.

With a sharp knife, trim fat, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Lightly score fat in a diamond pattern (do not cut into meat). Place ham, fat side up, on rack; roast 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine jam and mustard (they can be mixed and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead). Transfer 1/2 cup mixture to a small bowl to glaze ham. Set aside saucepan with remaining mixture.

After 1 hour, brush ham with glaze. Repeat every 15 minutes until brown and shiny, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, avoiding bone, registers 130 degrees, about 1 hour more (if glaze starts to burn, tent ham with buttered foil). Discard unused glaze.

Remove ham from oven; cover loosely with buttered foil to keep warm. Temperature will then rise another 5 to 10 degrees.

Bring jam mixture in saucepan to a boil. Carve ham, reserving bone and 2 cups of meat for Split Pea Soup. Serve with sauce.

(P.S. My thermometer registered 140 degrees when I took the ham out and it was perfect. Mom)

Unbelievably Good Junket Danish Pie

Fruit topping:

Add 1/2 box raspberry or strawberry Junket Danish Dessert to 1 cup cold water. Mix and boil as directed.

Add desired fruit (raspberries, strawberries) to dessert mix until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside to cool. (Pretty sure my co-worker's wife used boysenberries. So good.)

Pie filling:
With spoon, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup whipping cream until fairly solid, then beat with electric mixer. (Don't overbeat -- i.e. avoid turning it into butter.)

In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1 block of cream cheese.
Combine ingredients from both bowls and mix together with beater for 1 minute or until well-blended. (For a harder consistency, chill.)

Add filling to a graham cracker crust, leaving about 1/2 inch for the topping. Spread topping evenly over the filling and either serve fresh or chill.

Doubles well. Substitute chocolate or banana pudding for fruit topping if desired.

Cindy's Beef Barley Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef (but leftover pot roast would be even better)

Medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups water
28-oz. can peeled, diced tomatoes
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1-1/4 c. Quaker quick barley
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. basil
1 Bay leaf

Brown beef in electric pan. Add onion and garlic; cook until tender. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with grated cheese.

Serves 6-8

This is really good . . . and Geoffrey-approved.

And this amount of barley works if you are going to eat it right away; if not, it will expand and the result is not pleasant. I think the box says 3/4 cup.

Geoffrey's Excellent Pumpkin Soup

4 cups cubed raw pumpkin*, peeled

1/4 margarine or butter
2 carrots, cut into pieces
1/4 cup water
1/2 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, quartered
4-1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper

In large saucepan, cook pumpkin in butter 3 minutes. Add carrots and water; simmer covered, 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Simmer remaining ingredients in another covered saucepan, 30 minutes. Strain to remove celery. Process pumpkin, carrots, and onion in blender until smooth. Stir in broth. Heat through.

If desired, one 16-oz. can (2 cups) cooked pumpkin may be substituted for raw pumpkin. Omit first cooking of pumpkin and add to strained broth. If desired, 1/2 cup cooked carrots, processed in blender, may be added. Stir until smooth. Heat through.

Barefoot Contessa's Spring Vegetables

1/4 lb. string beans
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas (optional)
1/4 lb. asparagus, stems removed
1/2 lb. broccoli (cut in very small pieces)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. good olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Blanch the string beans in a large. boiling pot of salted water for 1 minute only. Lift the beans out of the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Add the snap peas to the same boiling and cook for 1 minute, until al dente, adding them to the ice water and beans. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths diagonally, cook in the boiling water for 2 minutes, and add to the ice water. Boil broccoli for one minute and immerse in ice water. When all of the vegeatbles are cold, drain well.

When ready to serve, heat the butter and olive oil in a very large saute pan or large pot. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add drained vegetables to the shallots with 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper and toss. Cook just until vegeatbles are heated through. Serve hot.

Ina Garten