Although I’m as much a fan of will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie as anyone else, today I’m more interested in the food that inspired the group’s name. That’s right. Those strange little legumes that look like the playground bully roughed them up behind the gym.
Apparently, Californians aren’t real hip to the pea, because it’s harder than hell to find them in the grocery stores out here. In Texas, they’d be on the end-caps and special displays, but here, I have to paw through the shelves and consider myself lucky to find some.
So why do southerners eat peas on New Year’s Day? The story I always heard was because they bring you luck for the new year. Why do I cook them? Because they taste damn good with cornbread and my mom would have a conniption fit if I didn’t :-).
So here’s my toss ‘em in a pot recipe for yummy black-eyed peas (in case you forgot to make them yesterday).
Stuff you need:
- Peas, either dried or frozen will do. (Do NOT buy canned peas. Can you see me making the sign of the cross?)
- Chopped onion, one large or a couple small
- Leftover ham from the holidays
- A can or two of chicken broth
- One or two cans of Ro-tel
- Salt, pepper, garlic and seasoning to taste
Grab your peas. If you bought dried, rinse them and soak them all day or overnight. Frozen cook faster so you can pull those out on New Year’s morning. Toss the peas, onions, broth, ham, extra water and seasoning in a Dutch oven. Bring the whole mess to a boil. Once it boils, turn it down to a simmer and let ‘em cook until the peas are tender. Drop in the can of Ro-tel after everything is basically cooked. Spoon it up in big bowls and use cornbread to sop up the juice. Yum!
Cornbread deserves a post all it’s own, but I’ll give you a couple of hints: use a cast iron skillet and when you’re preheating the oven, stick the skillet inside to heat the oil that goes in the batter. Pour up the hot oil into the batter. You’ll get fab cornbread crust this way—brown and crispy!
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January is Bath Safety Month so be careful where you step after hosing all that pea juice off your face!
