09/01/05 Split pea spread

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and recently my producer and I were having lunch. The soup of the day was a vegetarian split pea and we confessed to one another that we loved split pea soup, which led to me telling her about my favorite thing to do with leftover pea soup. Join me as I share my recipe Split Pea Spread and of course the wines that go with it. Although split pea soup is not glamorous it can be manifested into one of the most interesting spreads for crackers, chips or on sandwiches. I don't usually use ham in my pea soup but I use varying amounts of dill or fennel depending upon my mood. Always keep in mind that you are focusing your wine pairing upon the dominant flavors and textures of the dish. So that is what you will keep in mind when turning your soup into the spread. I make my soup thick  so after it is refrigerated it is pretty much solid when it is cold. To about 1 cup of my leftover soup, I combine ricotta cheese, freshly grated white cheddar cheese, minced red or white onions and roasted sunflower seeds. Then the secret ingredient is Worcestershire sauce to taste. Stir it together until it is well mixed, and then mold it into a loaf. Refrigerate it again and remove it from the loaf pan to serve with toasted baguette, wheat crackers or spread on a slice of bread with turkey for a great sandwich. My favorite wine with this is Semillon - Chardonnay. But, depending on how you season it, you can pair well with some richer Chardonnays or fruit forward Merlots. To find this recipe visit our website at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.