Split Pea Soup

Score the ham hocks in several places with a heavy knife and place them in a large Dutch oven or heavy pan. Chop the onions, carrots and celery and add them to the ham hocks along with almost 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat and add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer over low heat 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the peas become quite soft or almost dissolved. Add water as desired if the soup is too thick. Remove the ham hocks from the soup and discard skin and bones. Cut the meat into chunks and return to the soup. Add salt to taste.