Yipee! Food Mill Time

My 2-year-old and I have been staying indoors in the afternoons, so I've made an effort to include him in our dinner preparation. That included using a food mill to puree a split pea soup I cooked up from a recipe I got on Fresh Direct's web site. It doesn't have any meat in it (it does have stock), and a russet potato makes it so thick that I've added about 1/4 cup water to each serving when reheating. It's still silky smooth with a mild, but not bland, flavor. August likes his more soupy, so I just added more water to his.

The recipe directs you to bring 4 cups beef broth (I used chicken-it's what I always have) to a boil, then add 1 1/2 cup split peas and 2 medium potatoes (I used 1 because mine was a russet and seemed big), diced into 1/2-inch pieces. Then, while that's boiling, you saute a diced onion in 4 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, then cook until onion is soft and beginning to brown. Set aside until peas and potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes, then add onion mixture and puree. Put back in pot, then add a medium diced carrot and more stock to thin the mixture; simmer until the carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The recipe includes a topping of finely minced red onion, parsley and lemon juice, which sounded good to me but not to my cautious eaters, so I didn't bother. Let me know if you try it. The recipe's here.