JOE'S SPLIT PEA, BACON, HAM & POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas in a colandar and set aside.
• Medium chop red onion, celery, and green pepper, and cut bacon into small pieces.
• Add the bacon to a large soup pot, and render the bacon, on medium high heat, until crispy. Add onions, celery and green pepper to the bacon and bacon fat, and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the bay leaves, marjoram, black pepper, peas, water and bouillon granules and stir well. Add the ham bone and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours (90 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Remove the ham bone and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cut up the potatoes into bite sized pieces and add to the soup pot. If soup if too thick, add additional water. Remove any remaining ham from the ham bone, cut the ham into bite sized pieces, and return to the soup pot. Check the soup pot for large pieces of ham, hunks of fat, etc. Cut up the ham, and remove the hunks of fat. Continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Serve and enjoy.