Recipe - North African Pea Soup With A Couscous Mev

1 One fourth cup Dried yellow split peas
5 cup Lowsodium vegetable stock;
(see recipe)
1 teaspoon Harissa (see recipe);
divided
1 Peeled garlic clove; bashed
and chopped
8 ounce Medium turnips; peeled and
minced
16 Tiny onions; peeled
2 cup Mustard green; kale
leaves,or turnip green,
rolled, cut in thin strips
1 Sprig fresh rosemary

MEV
2 cup Couscous; cooked
1/8 teaspoon Salt
2 cup Water
One fourth cup Shelled pistachio nuts;
roughly chopped
One half cup Currants

FOR THE SOUP 1. Combine the split peas and vegetable stock in a large
saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer briskly for 15
minutes.

2. While the peas are cooking, combine Three fourths of the powdered harissa spices
with the garlic, mashing it thoroughly with a knife. Set aside in a small
bowl.

3. Add the turnips and onions to the stock and cook 15 minutes more. Stir
in the garlic and harissa mixture and the mustard greens. Lay the rosemary
on the top and cover to keep warm.

FOR THE MEV: 1. Bring the water to a boil; stir in the remaining harissa,
couscous, and salt. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes.

2. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the pistachios and currants. Fill
MEV or other 1cup molds with the couscous mixture and press down hard.

TO SERVE 4 PEOPLE: Remove the couscous from the molds and set in the middle
of 4 hot soup bowls. Discard the rosemary sprig and ladle the soup around
the couscous. Dust with just a little more harissa.

NOTES : Please look at the description of MEVs, an acronym for Molded
Ethnic Vegetables, in the Every Modern Means book before you attempt this
recipe.
Recipe by: Copyright cup 1996 by Kerr Corporation

Posted to recipeludigest by "Valerie Whittle" catspaw@inetnow.net on Feb
27, 1998