EVA’S SPLIT PEA SOUP 2 cups dry green peas 10 cups cold water 1 large onion chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 T bacon fat or vegetable oil 1 ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks [e.g. smoked shank with bone from butcher's] 2 cloves garlic, minced 1t salt 1 t pepper 1/2 t marjoram Frankfurters sliced in 1" pcs. (optional) [really not required] Hot Buttered Croutons (Best with seeded rye bread pan fried with butter + herbs until lightly browed[*])

Soak peas in water over. Night (depends on peas- see package instructions)
Next day, sauté onion and carrots in bacon fat until onions are tender. (Approx 6 min.)
Add peas with water.
Add ham bone, garlic, salt, pepper and marjoram.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 3 hours stirring occasionally.
Remove ham bone, trim off meat and return to soup.
Correct seasoning and add optional frankfurters.

Note: If you have a hand held liquidizer, you might want to partially
chop for a couple of seconds to create some tiny bits of ham.

Serve with croutons.
[*] [use 30% or so rye bread, ideally new york/jewish/polish? deli
style.

use garlic. the garlic+oil paste tubes work well, poss. with some
additional oil.

if not using stale bread, dry out in the oven at 180C for 10-20ish
minutes]