PERFECT SPLIT PEA 'N HAM SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas well in a strainer or colander.
• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot, and saute onions, carrots and celery over medium heat until lightly browned. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over all.
• Add the crushed garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Keeping heat the same, add the broth and peas. Scrape bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits and stir to mix everything up.
• Trim all visible fat from the ham and add ham to the pot. It's fine if it breaks into a few chunks, but they need to be large enough to pick out later.
• When soup comes to a light boil, use a wad of paper towels to dab any whitish foam off the surface.
• Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2-3 hours. About an hour in, use tongs to pull out all the ham and either chop into bite-sized pieces or snip with kitchen scissors right over the pot. Now is also a great time to taste for seasoning; you may need to add nothing at all, but see Ingredients for ideas.
• If you like, blend some or all of the soup with a regular blender (more trouble) or immersion blender (zero trouble).