Black-Eye Peas and Hoppin’ John

Black-Eye Peas and Hoppin’ John

  In the Southeast it is likely that there will be black-eyes in some form on the menu at any New Year’s Eve party you attend so that as the clock strikes midnight black-eyes are the first food you eat. Consuming black-eyes on the first day of the year is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity for the whole year.   Hoppin’ John is one of the more traditional dishes served on this day.  Some people eat 365 black-eyes for 365 days of good luck!

 According to the website http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/hoppin-john-a-new-years-tradition, the origins of the name “Hoppin’ John” are slightly less clear. Some say an old, hobbled man called Hoppin’ John became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston. Others say slave children hopped around the table in eager anticipation of the dish. Most food historians think the name derives from a French term for dried peas, “pois pigeons.”

Black-eye peas or black-eye beans are also known as the cowpea, are thought to have originated in North Africa.   According to the Library of Congress, black-eyes have been cultivated in China and India since pre historic times and were eaten by the ancient Greeks and Romans.   There is some indication that black-eyes were transported from Africa to the West Indies during the slave trade.  They reached the South more that 300 years ago.

One serving of black-eyes (1/2 cup) contains 70 calories and 4 grams of fiber.  These little beans are a great source of potassium, zinc, iron and vitamin C.

For other black-eye recipes try these websites: http://www.slowcookerfromscratch.com/2012/12/slow-cooker-vegetarian-black-eyed-peas.html, and http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/12/recipe-for-black-eyed-pea-hummus-with.html.  They both have a variety of recipes for the New Year.

Hoppin’ John

 Ingredients

6 slices thick bacon

1 celery stalk, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound dried black-eye peas, about 2 cups

1 bay leaf

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

salt to taste

2 cups long grain rice

Slice bacon into small pieces and cook in a Dutch oven until almost crispy.  Add celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.

 Sort and rinse the black-eyes.  Add black-eyes, bay leaf, thyme and Cajun seasoning to the bacon mix.

 Cover with 4 cups of water.  Cook for 30 minutes to an hour on simmer until black-eyes are tender.

While the black eyes are cooking, cook the rice in a separate saucepan according to package instructions.

Combine the drained black-eye mixture with the rice.

 Enjoy!  Happy New Year!