Split pea soup

Split peas, dried	1 pound
Ham hock or bone	1 pound
Onion, chopped	1 ½ cups
Celery, chopped	1 cup
Carrot, chopped	1 cup
Potatoes, unpeeled, chopped	1 cup
Garlic, minced	5 cloves
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
Water	8 cups

1. Place all ingredients in a large soup pot. 
2. Bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. 
4. Remove the hock, and cut the meat into small pieces; return the meat to the pot.

Recipe from In a Cajun Kitchen by Terri Pischoff Wuerthner