New Belgium - Dig

This is a spring brew from New Belgium, who have become one of my favorite brewers. It's a very crisp pale ale with a very Spring-friendly hop profile. Lots of citrus, a hint of flowery, and a nice sharp and clean finish that leaves just a hint of malt behind. This is a great example of a well-hopped beer that doesn't fall into the OMG MOAR HOPZ trap. Pours clear and coppery with a floral / citrus aroma and a thick, creamy head that sticks around for a while, leaving moderate lacing. All in all a very nice brew, crisp and light enough to drink on warmer spring days, and with a great profile to pair with, say some good BBQ.

Split Pea Soup

A quick recipe I threw together this weekend that turned out really well. Split pea soup is usually a love it or hate it kind of thing. I happen to love it. Here you go:
Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon - diced
• 2 andouille sausage links - diced
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 2 large carrots - diced
• 1 sweet pepper - diced
• 2 1/2 - 3 quarts stock
• 1 lb. dried split peas - cleaned according to package instructions
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Process

1. Cook bacon and andouille sausage in a large stock pot over medium high heat, stirring frequently, for about 6-8 minutes.
2. Add onion and continue cooking and stirring until they become translucent. Bacon should be cooked but not crispy, andouille should be nicely browned.
3. Add carrots and sweet pepper and cook about one minute.
4. Add stock and split peas, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain.
5. Simmer 30-40 minutes until peas are cooked. That's it!

Notes

• Total time: about 1 hour.
• Tastes great with a good sharp cheese and fresh bread.
• Makes about 8 good-sized servings. 

I used half ham stock and half vegetable stock when I made this. My Mom gave me a couple quarts of ham stock she made using the bone from our traditional Christmas country style ham. This is effectively delicious salty liquid bacon, so I used a quart of it with a quart of vegetable stock. I added no salt, but about 3/4 tsp. black pepper.