Place butter and evoo in large stock pot and heat over medium heat.

Once butter has melted in the oil add onions, carrots and celery. Cook until veggies have softened, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, dried thyme and cook just until fragrant; 20 to 30 seconds. Season with a couple sprinkles of salt and pepper.

Add ham hock, parmesan rind, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then immediately reduce to low. Cover with lid and simmer for 1 hour or until peas have softened.

In the meantime, mince the Boars Head ham and set aside.

Once the peas have softened add the minced ham and finish soup with half and half or heavy cream, if desired. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Remove parmesan rind, bay leaf and ham hock before serving. You can also allow the ham hock to cool and remove any bits of meat that are remaining. Mince and fry in a small amount of olive oil to crisp. Then use this as a garnish to serve atop the soup.

Tip: You can also make parmesan rinds to serve with your soup. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or a silpat which works best). Grate parmesan on a microplane grater. Place 2 tablespoon amounts of parmesan on the silpat leaving two inch space in between each mound. Bake until parmesan has melted and turns medium golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before removing from pan.