- Rinse and drain peas, picking out any stones. Spray large
stockpot with Pam. Inside place peas and ham bone and cover with
chicken broth and additional water (or white wine to cover
bone). Add vegetables, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Season with
salt & pepper. - Bring to a simmer, skimming scum off top. Cover
loosely and cook 1 hour until peas are tender, stirring often.
Remove bone and bay leaves. Either press through sieve or leave
chunky. Correct seasonings and add ham. - Ladle into mugs or
bowls and top with crunchy croutons. ~ Outside my window The
term arose in 19th century Britain. One of the by-products of
the industrial revolution was a massive increase in the smoke
and sulphur put into the atmosphere by factories, etc. When
combined with fog, the result was totally different to the white
fogs seen in rural areas - because of the dirty yellow-brown
color, they were named "pea soupers".These poisonous
combinations of smoke and fog continued to occur until 1952,
when a five-day "pea souper" over Lon