“My grandmother (Mom-ma) grew up in the depression and raised 3 children on her own. Her husband died when my mother was 3 months old. In those days, there was no welfare or Medicaid, and people were too proud to accept charity. So, the elders of her church got together to determine how they could help her. They decided that they would all give her their white cotton shirts (which everyone wore back then) to launder. Other men in the church followed suit, and she began her business.
She washed the shirts, bleached and ‘blued’ them, carried them outside, hung them on the line in the backyard, and brought them inside when they were dry. She ironed the shirts with an old-style iron (no steam). She had a bowl of water in which she’d dip her fingers, sprinkle some water on a section, iron that part and repeat until she had piles of crisply ironed and folded shirts to return. I still remember it clearly, as she continued to work from the time my mother was a baby until I, one of her youngest grandchildren, was in high school. She never complained about it and was content knowing she’d provided for her kids. I believe she truly felt blessed with everything she needed, even though she lived in a tiny house and never vacationed or traveled outside of Texas to my knowledge.
One of her specialties was Hoppin’ Johns, a traditional dish for ringing in the New Year. They represented pennies in your pocket and prosperity in the coming year. This is her recipe, which is written in her own hand on a little recipe card I still have. I just updated it a bit for today’s tastes. May you enjoy the recipe, while contemplating these words of wisdom she often repeated to us (even though we weren’t always happy to hear them):
‘People need to recognize the difference between want they want and what they need; then they’ll be happy.’ ~ Mom-ma
HAPPY NEW YEAR!”
~ Bobbi
Make the rice ahead of time. See How to Cook Brown Rice.
| Prep Time | |
| 15 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 45-60 minutes |
|
|
|
Moderate
Inexpensive!
Serves:6people
Serving Size:1 cup (includes peas and rice)
|
This is a traditional Texan or Southern dish, which is often served for New Year's. We've made a few minor updates to an old family recipe. Also see our recipe for Hoppin' Johns Vegetarian. If you're cooking the rice at the same time as the peas, you'll need 2 large saucepans or 1 saucepan for the rice and 1 large skillet for the peas. You can also cook the rice ahead of time, and reuse the same saucepan for the peas.
Tools:1 large saucepan or (10 to 12-inch) skillet, knife and cutting board, measuring cups and spoons1 large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan for rice, 1 large saucepan or (10 to 12-inch) skillet for peas, knife and cutting board, colander
|
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 3 slices bacon or 1/4 cup chopped ham
- 1 small onion (about 1 cup chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 medium bell pepper any color
- 1 16-ounce) bag black-eyed peas or 3 cups frozen
- 1 cup water or broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco recommended)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Use leftover brown rice, or cook 1 cup of brown rice according to package directions or our post, How to Cook Brown Rice. (You’ll end up with about 3 to 4 cups cooked rice, the remainder of which you can refrigerate or freeze for later.)
- Cook bacon in the saucepan or skillet you plan to use for the peas, over medium-low heat until crispy, about 5 minutes each side. Set aside on paper towels to dry. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. (If using ham, brown, then remove and add enough oil to make 1 tablespoon.)
- Chop onion. Heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil over medium-low heat in the saucepan (or in a skillet if you’re using the saucepan to cook rice), then add onion. Cook and stir while you continue.
- Chop celery and bell pepper, adding to onion as you finish each one. Cook and stir another 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
- Add peas and broth. Simmer (uncovered) 30 minutes, or longer. (Some people like to cook peas for several hours—add more water if needed.)
- Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt, hot sauce, and pepper. If using ham, add now, but save bacon for later. Continue simmering uncovered another 15 to 30 minutes, or until about half the liquid has cooked off.
- Crumble up bacon and stir into peas, or sprinkle on top as a garnish. Adjust seasonings, to taste.
- Serve with brown rice on the side, or stirred into the peas. Thinly slice green top portion of the scallion, and sprinkle over the peas if desired.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
- Serve with collard greens or cabbage.
- Omit rice, and serve the black-eyed peas with cornbread or sautéed polenta.
VARIATIONS:
- Use 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, and eliminate the broth. Drain and rinse in a colander. Add after vegetables are soft. Add about 2 tablespoons broth or water. Cook about 5 minutes with other ingredients, but not much longer, as they are very soft already. Although this is much quicker, we prefer the flavor of frozen black-eyed peas (or fresh if you can find them).
- See recipe for Hoppin’ Johns Vegetarian.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.