Black Eyed Peas

We weren’t able to get enough black eyed peas in time this Sunday, so we made it with a mixture of beans — black-eyed peas, soybeans, pinto beans, Great Northern beans, maybe one or two others — which actually turned out great. You can make it with any similar beans. If you make it with only black-eyed peas and serve over rice, it’s the classic Southern dish “hoppin’ John.” If you serve it with cornbread, as we did, it’s a traditional lucky New Year’s meal with the black-eyed peas for luck and the (gold) cornbread for money. –Phil

Simple black-eyed peas
Serves 4

olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red  bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 15-oz. cans black eyed peas or other beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup stock (vegetable or chicken)
Salt and pepper

1 T chopped parsley

2 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1. Chop onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic.
2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to oil.
4. Saute until vegetables are tender and onion is translucent.
5. Add the black eyed peas, stock, salt and pepper. Cook for approximately 10 minutes.
7. Chop green onions and tomatoes and set aside for garnish.
6. Chop parsley.
8. Stir parsley into beans and remove from heat.

Serve over rice or with cornbread or both.
Garnish with chopped green onions and tomato.

—Prepared with our help by Phil at St. Lydia’s on January 6, 2012