Erbensuppe (German Pea Soup)

It got very cold quite suddenly yesterday. Cold weather comfort food was necessary. Knowing I had yellow split peas, a smoked ham hock, vegetable stock and carrots, I went out and got yukon gold potatoes and kosher knockwurst. I put the soup together according to the recipe, until I realized I had no celeriac (I threw in some fennel seeds) and no marjoram (I did have fresh oregano, flat leaf parsley and thyme and so used a combination of those herbs). My cooking was a bit longer then that in the recipe, but my peas might have been sitting in the cupboard for a while. The house filled up with a very comforting aroma. It smelled warm, if you know what I mean. And when I filled my bowl with soup, just the sight of it made me happy. And the taste of it made me happier still. This soup makes you remember coming in from the cold as a child, and sitting down to hot soup your mother or your grandmother made just for you. Good Stuff!