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ByKimBoatman FortheMercuryNews Istillrememberthetime Mom made split pea soup. Never had the snippet of etiquette poetry she'd taught me seemed more apt: "I dip my spoon away from me, like a little ship gone out to sea." I was in- deed staring at a vast ex- panse of the greenest green food I'd ever laid eyes on. And judging by the size of the soup pot on the stove, the whole family would be afloat on this ocean of split pea soup for a week or more. I pinched my nose and reluctantly launched that spoon. Since then, I can't say I've never had split pea soup again. But I don't make it. My kids may have tales about the foods I've served — I'm told I am overly fond of Brussels sprouts — but none of those tales will in- volve a certain green soup. But you, dear Plates read- ers, are swaying me, nudg- ing me out of my comfort- able, split pea-free zone. When Plates regular Susan Tajii asked for healthy yet creamy pureed soups, you shared a big batch of rec- ipes, including several for split pea soup. John Jordan, of Moun- tain View, likes an easy Sun- set stovetop version that in- cludes a couple of potatoes. "One of my absolute favor- ite soups: smooth, delicious and nutritious," he says. His recipe calls for green or yel- low split peas, and the soup cooks in just 20 or 30 min- utes after you've sauteed the diced onion. The onion, a couple of cloves of garlic and a bit of salt are the only flavorings. DeAnna Alm makes her split pea soup in the slow cooker. "I've con- verted many split pea hat- ers with this one, and it's super easy!" she says. "I of- ten cook it overnight, then pour into smaller contain- ers and refrigerate in the morning, as it reheats well on the stove or in the mi- crowave." Alm sautes onion, car- rots, a red or orange bell pepper, celery and garlic before adding them to the slow cooker. She browns diced ham or kielbasa in the same pan and refrig- erates the meat to add to- ward the end of the soup's long simmer. Plates regular Dona Dickie, of Livermore, adds chopped Canadian bacon to her split pea soup, and she offered an apple squash soup that she loves as well. "The apple squash soup is perfect for the fall season because of the aro- matic spices," she says. Her soup is made with plenty of butternut squash, plus ground ginger and mace. If you don't have the heart for peeling, seeding and dicing three butternut squashes, do what Dickie does. "I buy the butternut squash at the grocery store that is already peeled and chopped," she says. AppleSquashSoup Serves6to8 4tablespoons unsalted butter 3cups chopped onions 1teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground mace 3medium-sized butternut squash (about 4pounds), peeled, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch cubes 3Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2-inch cubes 8cups chicken or vegetable broth 2cups apple juice Salt, black pepper to taste 2tablespoons chopped flat- leaf parsley or finely snipped fresh chives, to garnish 1. Melt the butter over low heat. Add onions, ginger and mace; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 15 minutes. 2. Add squash, apples and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash is ten- der, about 25minutes. 3. Strain the soup, reserving broth. Puree the vegetables in a food processor in batches; add about 1cup of broth per batch. 4. Return pureed soup to the pot along with apple juice and remaining broth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley or chives. —ContributedbyDona Dickie Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Serves 6to 8 Olive oil 1/2 onion, diced 3carrots, diced 1red or orange bell pepper, diced 2stalks celery, diced 4cloves garlic, minced 1to 2teaspoons dried thyme 1to 2teaspoons dried basil 2cups diced ham or kielbasa 1bag split peas 2bay leaves 8cups chicken broth 1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan; saute onion, carrots, bell pepper, celery and garlic, until onions are translucent. Add thyme and basil; saute until fra- grant, 1or 2minutes more. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker. 2. Wipe out the frying pan. Add a little more oil and brown the ham or kielbasa. Refrigerate the meat, re- serving it to add to the soup later. 3. Pick through and rinse split peas, then add them to the slow cooker, along with the bay leaves and broth. Stir thoroughly, then cover and cook on low for 6to 7 hours. 4. Add reserved meat. Turn slow cooker to high and cook 30to 60minutes more. Stir before serving. (Note: This soup freezes well.) — Contributed by DeAnna Alm Split Pea and Potato Soup Serves 4 3/4 cup dried green or yellow split peas 2teaspoons olive oil 1medium onion, diced 2potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks 41/3 cups vegetable broth 2cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt Croutons, as garnish 1. Sort peas for any debris, then rinse. 2. In a 3- or 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, saute onion in olive oil until onion is limp, about 5 minutes. Add peas, pota- toes, broth, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 20to 30minutes (or longer for a smoother consistency). 3. In a blender or food pro- cessor, whirl soup mixture a portion at a time, until smooth. Return to pan. If soup is thicker than desired, thin with a little water. Stir over high heat until steam- ing. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with croutons. — From Sunset Magazine, contributed by John Jordan. HOME PLATES It's now soup season Some recipes to keep you warm this winter MAR K D UF RE NE - B AY A RE A N EW S G ROU P F IL E Sp li t p ea s ou p i s a p op ul ar s ou p a s t em pe ra tu re s c oo l d ow n. By Stacie Dong and Simran Singh Sandwiches for dinner? We love the idea of putting together a few hearty sand- wiches in lieu of the usual knife-and-fork repast. Mexican tortas fit the bill perfectly: The flavors are comforting and famil- iar, it's a chance to break out of that quesadilla rut, and the fillings are hearty enough to make them feel like a complete meal. Hav- ing a few dinner ideas like this in your regular rota- tion comes in pretty handy on busy weeknights. And of course, we love any meal that can make use of leftovers with panache. In Mexico, tortas are typically served in a white roll — do not even think about whole grain or rustic breads. They can be eaten cold or hot, grilled or flat- tened in a panini press. The classic torta com- bines a soft sandwich roll, refried beans and avocado, with toppings that range from fried eggs to chorizo, shredded pork or roasted poblano peppers. We partic- ularly like spicy fried cho- rizo with a runny egg — yum! — but basically, any- thing you like on a taco, works great in a torta. And the leftovers make a great school or work lunch the next day. We like to serve our tor- tas with homemade tor- tilla chips and fresh pico de gallo. Once you make your own tortilla chips, you may never buy bagged chips again. It's a little ex- tra work, but totally worth it for the extra taste and freshness. You can substi- tute a store-bought salsa, but the pico de gallo is so easy, your kids can make it. Mexican Torta Refried beans (spice them up with cumin, chile powder and coriander) So roll or a baguette, toasted Sliced avocado Queso fresco, goat cheese or feta Toppings such as crumbled chorizo; ham, bacon or any deli meat; fried or scrambled eggs; roasted poblano peppers; or finely shredded cabbage or carrots. Hotsauce Assemble as you would any sandwich or, better still, lay out all the fillings and let ev- eryone assemble their own. You can press the sandwich in a panini or a frying pan with a weight, if you prefer a toasted sandwich. Pico De Gallo 2tomatoes, diced finely 1/4 red onion, diced finely 1/2 jalapeño, diced finely, seeded if you wish Handful of chopped cilantro Lime juice to taste Salt, pepper Combine all the ingredi- ents in a bowl. Set aside while you make the tortas so the flavors can de- velop. Homemade Tortilla Chips 3flour tortillas, cut into triangles 2to 3tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil or cooking spray Preheat oven to 400de- grees. Arrange the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a well-oiled baking sheet. Give the triangles a quick brush with oil. Season with salt and bake until browned and crispy, 8 to 9minutes. San Francisco food writ- ers and moms Stacie Dong and Simran Singh's blog, A Little Yumminess (www. alittleyum.com), focuses on family food adventures and recipes with a global twist. FAST FOOD AT HOME Fa st a nd f ur io us w ee kn ig ht c oo ki ng : Me xi can t or ta s LOOK FOR THE POSTER AT PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES LOCATED ON THESE STREETS. HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE DOWNTOWN RED BLUFF BUSINESS ASSOCIATION! | FOOD | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014 4 B