It's March and time to start thinking about the green.   I'm almost half Irish...and celebrating St. Patrick's Day has always been on my "To Do" list.  Cover Cafe wishes the luck of the Irish to romance readers everywhere!

Dear Publisher celebrates March with two Irish themed releases. This month, while enjoying a Shamrock Shake or traditional green beer, read something green. 

PUBLISHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON MOUSE OVER!

And if you are interested in watching a little bit of Irish romance, check out the Hallmark movie, Chasing Leprechauns, scheduled for March 17th, 2012. I love Hallmark movies. They are a visual romance novel...sigh.

And finally, one of my favorite soups is Split Pea and since it's green, I'm featuring my recipe in the March edition of Dear Publisher.  If you want to try something different this year, make a pot of this soup and serve it with warm french bread or oyster crackers.  However, if you are a traditionalist, stick with the corn beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.  

Linnae's Version of Ham and Split Pea Soup

2 cloves garlic - minced

4 large shallots – chopped

2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken stock

5 cups water

2 cups dried split peas - rinsed

5 slices Canadian Bacon or ham cut into small pieces

2 large carrots - shredded

2 celery stalks - chopped thin

2 bay leaves

1 tsp Herbes de Provence or ½ tsp thyme and ½ tsp marjoram

½ tsp. pepper

In a large pot combine all ingredients . Bring to boil, cover and lower heat to simmer. Add liquid if needed during cooking time – either chicken stock or water and stir often.  Simmer for  1-1/2 – 1-3/4 hours until peas are softened and cooked.  Remove bay leaves.  Bring to boil again and stir well before serving.  Serve with warm french bread or oyster crackers.

Enjoy!

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