Hoppin' John with a Side of Peas

I wasn’t aware of the significance of having this dish with collard greens on New Year’s Day until I read some recipe reviews on this site. I’m only a few months late and I served it with kale….do you think it still counts?

Though not as complex as some, I chose to make the recipe from this book as I’ve had excellent results with everything I’ve tried “ the authors’ cooking times and instructions are very accurate. After an overnight soak, the black eyed peas are simmered slowly with chopped onion, cayenne pepper and a piece of Canadian back bacon (or ham hocks). The recipe makes extra peas to serve as a side, so once they’re tender, only half the peas and liquid are added to uncooked rice and steamed with the slab of bacon until the rice is cooked. Canadian back bacon is very lean so it ended up being a little dry. Next time, I’ll make an effort to find ham hocks.

Served with kale and the sliced bacon, it made for a delicious and comforting meal.