Chef Chuck's Split Pea Soup

Zuppa di Piselli


The spiral ham on the bone certainly had a full smokey flavor for the split pea soup. The rich ham taste came through do to soft buttery fats, and savory bone marrow. Combined with green split peas, and bright healthy vegetables made it all the more enjoyable.


Split Pea Soup
1 ham bone
1 cup ham, cubed
1/2 pound dry green peas
3 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 whole potato, peeled
2 bay leafs
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
water


In a medium size bowl add dry peas, inspect and discard any pebbles, rinse peas, set aside.  In a large pot add ham bone, cubed ham, bay leafs, and 4 cups water.  Pour in olive oil, add 1 whole potato and dry peas, simmer with lid half on for 1 hour. Add cubed potatoes, carrots, celery, onions thyme, salt, pepper and peas to soup. Crush whole potato with a fork or hand blender and add to soup, this will help thicken soup, simmer an additional 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Chef Chuck's Stuffed Pork Chops

Braciole di Maiale Farcito


A succulent pork chop with focaccia apple stuffing is a heart warming meal. Cooked to perfection this chop remains moist and tender. I brown the chop in butter and olive oil and transfer to a heated oven to finish the cooking.


Stuffed Pork Chops
2 pounds bone in pork chops
2 cups stuffing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste


Wash and make a cut to form a pocket in the pork chop. Bring chop to room temperature about 1 hour. Make your stuffing and gently place in pocket of chop. Heat frying pan add oil and butter and brown both sides of pork chop. Continue cooking in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. The internal temperature should be 160, I remove from oven at 155 because it still cooks when out of the oven. Let rest a few minutes and serve with a green vegetable.

Chef Chuck's Fresh Garden Pea Soup

Crema di Piselli


Freshly picked organic peas make this recipe healthy and so flavorful. A real springtime delight, so smooth and creamy. Green goodness!


Fresh Garden Pea Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 small red onion, minced
2 cups fresh organic pea's
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper


Besciamella
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk
salt and pepper


Saute onions in butter then add fresh pea's, broth, salt and pepper simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the sauce, (besciamella). In a separate small heavy pot, melt butter add flour and whisk till smooth, about 2 minutes. Add hot milk, salt and pepper and continuously whisk for 5 minutes, till it thickens and turns a light golden color. In a food processor or blender add pea mixture and blend till smooth. Strain peas and pour back into the same sauce pan stir in besciamella and simmer for 5 minutes.