Natural Wonders of Greater Tucson

I've decided to create a whole series of photographs about the natural environment in and around my home, Tucson Arizona.  As you wander throughout this area you will stumble upon some breathtaking images - from fields of cactus, to sunsets and sunrises, desert vistas, mountain ranges, animal and plant life.  And sometimes all you have to do is look up and see fantastic cloud formations and shades in the expansive sky above our city.

On a recent visit to Colossal Cave, a place that I hadn't been to in many years, I took about a hundred and twenty five shots of rock formations in the cave and well as a few vistas outside of it.  I'm in awe of how caves like these form and have always been fascinated by stalactite and stalagmite formations in the caves.  These three shots were among the better photos that I took that day.

2/5 update: I've added five more shots of plants that I've found in and around where I life in Metro Tucson.  I have posted these before in other places but it's nice to see them in one location.  The last, a tree where I work, I ran through a processor to make it appear somewhat Impressionistic. I liked how it turned out.

3/11/ Update: I took a drive out through Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains today during high noon, usually not a great time to shoot outdoors because of the harsh light of the sun overhead.  But the shots had their own shadow and light built into them.  Believe it or not this was all ocean floor millions of years ago.

I'll be adding more photos to this article, which I consider a work in progress Stay tuned!

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup

If Santa brought you a pressure cooker this Christmas here is a great recipe to make a great split pea soup.  To make this vegetarian, just omit the ham, bacon and chicken stock and substitute a good vegetable stock.

Ingredients

1 bag dried split peas, sorted and rinsed.
1 ham bone (or ham hock)
1 ham slice, cubed
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onions
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (you don't need much if using ham and bacon)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil, or a a few sprigs fresh, chopped
1 spring rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
6 cups of low sodium chicken stock, vegetable stock or water.
Sour cream to finish

Directions

Turn on the meat/chicken button on the pressure cooker to heat the inner pot and render the bacon in the olive oil, and add the vegetables. Saute until the onions are clear. Add the herbs, salt, pepper and half the cubed ham slice, reserving the rest.

Add the split peas and stir to coat them, then drop in the ham bone and pour stock or water into the pan. Now cancel the meat/chicken saute and press the soups/stews button (some pressure cookers may have a beans/lentils button).  Set the cooker for 15 minutes and seal the lid, with the valve closed.

If you like a chunky split pea soup, the prep work is done after you release the steam.  Just ladle the soup into a bowl and add some of the reserved cubed ham to the top, with a dollop of sour cream.

I prefer a smooth split pea soup, so I blend the finished soup in a blender until it's the consistency I want. I still add the cubed ham to the bowl at the end with the sour cream.  Serve with warm buttered French bread slices, a nice Reisling, and you have a great meal in a bowl!