Monday, January 2, 2017

Greens and Pork and Black-eyed Peas


On New Year's Eve we enjoyed filet mignon with Bearnaise sauce (yes, I'm cooking again) along with baked potatoes, broccoli, and salad. Also bubbly. 

Last night we had the traditional New Year's Day good luck meal of pork, black-eyed peas, and greens -- along with rice and sweet potatoes.  It's a meal from my childhood - though my grandmother didn't sprinkle Ras al Hanout seasoning on the sweet potatoes the way I did (and heartily recommend.) 

Nor did she serve bubbly but we figured 2017 may need all the help it can get.


A special feature of the meal was that the greens were fresh from our garden -- planted back in September and lightly touched by frost -- I was amazed that they had come through the drought of October and November.

 They were tender and delicious -- may 2017 be the same!


12 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

That was probably an enjoyable meal for you, but I'm not sure that I would have liked anything other than the beef. I am not a veggie lover but wish that I were. And you know, I've never encountered a black-eyed pea.

Pat in east TN said...

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2017 Vicki!

Vicki Lane said...

Oh, AC! Oh, Canada! I've noticed too that many Brits don't, in general, seem very fond of veggies other than green peas. Black-eyed peas are pretty much a Southern thing -- my grandmother served them maybe five times a week. I like them but not that often .

jennyfreckles said...

It sounds delicious and especially if some came from your own land. This Brit loves veggies, though I must confess I'm not familiar with black-eyed peas.

Frances said...

Vicki, I love the idea of a fresh and tender new year.

Yesterday, I also prepared the traditional Black Eyed Peas, and have posted about the experience.

After having someone from abroad ask me over on IG about the BEP tradition, I went to wiki, and learned much more than my Grandmother or parents ever told me. As I child I was just told it was a Southern tradition.

Glad to know you are able to return to the kitchen...please do take it easy though. xo

Barbara Rogers said...

GOod and delicious sounding meal! I tried something new, without looking in a cookbook. Well, I ate part of it, the part that had cooked, and stored away the part that was still undercooked. You'd think rice and pork chops could bake, but the brown rice never got done...since I finally covered it for the last hour of the 3 it was in the oven. And I rescued and ate the porch chops after the first hour. But it was pretty good. Back to the Boston Cooking School and Fanny Farmer for me!

Bernie said...

Like AC I have never tasted black eyed peas but I do love vegetables. Happy New Year friend. I didn't enjoy 2016, 2017 can't get much worse. (Or can it)

L. D. said...

The food looks so great. It is fun to cook for special days. We had Cambodia food on New Years day with a group that we work with. It very good fried rice and real egg rolls. The soupy-like substance that cooks the beef, shrimp, and fresh greens like a fondue looks good. The spices they put into it was not so great. I am just not use to those kinds of spices.

Vagabonde said...

Your meal sounds delicious. I heard about “hoppin John” for New Year when we moved to Georgia and I wondered about all the black-eye peas and greens at the grocery store. So I decided to make some. The first year was not very tasty, but along the years I have “tweaked” my recipe and I think it is good – the proof is that my grandchildren loved my Hoppin John last time I made it for them. I usually cook turnip greens too but they were out of fresh ones, so used collard greens, but they also came out very tasty. I am not sure if I cook it the old fashioned Southern way, but it’s yummy. I use smoked turkey, red pepper flakes, fresh onions, garlic, hickory black pepper, chicken broth base, liquid smoke and some white balsamic vinegar but still like to add hot pepper vinegar on them when they are cooked. I have made Hoppin John and greens every New Year for decades but not last year because I was in bed with pneumonia – which is why 2016 did not turn out that good I bet. 2017 should be a great year – hope it will be great for y’all too (don’t I sound like I am from sweet Georgia now? Lawd hammercy!!)

Vicki Lane said...

Oh, Vagabonde, you are cracking me up! I am imagining a Georgia drawl with a French accent!

Thérèse said...

Everything seems so delicious. We adopted "black eyed peas" when we were living in the States, we are eating them here in Toulouse as part of the famous Cassoulet.

Jime said...

I'll take second helpins of everythang.