Split Pea Soup

1. Peel the sweet potatoes or yams (or squash!) and chop them into small cubes. Chop up the onion, carrots, celery, and ham into small-ish cubes as well. Mince the basil.
2. Thoroughly rinse and clean the split peas.
3. Combine all the ingredients in a very large pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about an hour, stirring a couple times to make sure nothing is sticking and burning to the bottom.
4. Remove the cover of the pot during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking.
5. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serve hot! You can also freeze within 5 days.