Thursday = pea soup + crepe

There's a quaint tradition in Finland where pea soup (hernekeitto) and crepes (lettu) are traditionally eaten on Thursdays. I've no idea why Thursday. And for that matter, no other day of the week has such association. This soup isn't the usual starter; instead, it's a main course because it's so heavy that it goes thump in your stomach. It's one of those things I read about Finland many years in a list that went, "You know you're in Finland when..." along with "silence is golden" or something about whipping one's body with a bunch of birch twigs in a sauna. How cute, I thought. But it wasn't a few years later that I actually tried pea soup.

I think if there's any dish that sums up the Finnish psyche, it's this. Hearty, down-to-earth, unpretentious.

Hernekeitto
shelled peas, dried or fresh
potatoes, cubed (optional)
onions, minced
meat stock (I used chicken bones left over from a roast)
bay leaves
ham*, diced
butter
salt & black pepper
mustard

1. Put the bay leaves, bones, peas & potatoes into a large stockpot. Add water until just covering the peas or potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until peas are soft or until a good stock is made from the bones.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the onions until a golden caramel colour. Add into the stockpot.
3. Remove the bay leaves & bones.
4. Use a potato masher to mash the peas and potatoes into a thick paste. (Alternatively, a blender could be used as well but I prefer a chunky touch to the soup)
5. Add the diced ham. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
6. Serve with a dollop of mustard mixed in.

* I really don't recommend thin slices of 'picnic ham'. I'd go for a whole chunk of smoked ham then dice it to your liking. I had frozen portions of my Christmas ham and it was wonderful.

And as for the crepes (lettu), I whipped some cream and chopped up strawberries to go. Traditionally though, strawberry jam is eaten with the crepes along with cream. I love food traditions!


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