O.K. Southerners are y'all ready?.....

[darlak]

Sure - if you think you can put up with all of us.

Speaking of peas, collards, and why we eat them on NYD, we eat the pork because pigs can't look behind them, only forward, so it's to remind us that looking back is pointless and to move only forward in the the new year. Do others do this, too, or is this just something weird that we do?

I have never heard that....but I like it! I figured we just ate that particular meat because it went so well with the peas and greens. lol

 

[luvsJack]

Hmm, I think that may just be one of those things southern girls are born knowing how to cook, since I can't remember anyone ever teaching me. I guess I just learned from watching my mother and grandmothers.

Rinse peas well in colander (discarding any bad ones), place in pot (I use a cast iron dutch oven type pot, but any kind will do), add a piece of ham or pork for flavoring (I just cut a piece off from the ham I'm cooking for dinner), add salt and pepper to taste, cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/low and cook until tender. About 1 & 1/2 to 2 hours.

This is exactly how everyone I know cooks them except we use a ham bone (with a bit of meat still on it) and let it boil along with the peas. Salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg (like 1/4 tsp, really very little compared to the pot of peas being cooked.)

Now if I am cooking black eyed peas and not cooking meat to go with it, I will add a ham bone or ham hocks and some chunks of ham. Same as when I cook big white Lima beans. In fact, whatever is left from our Christmas ham tomorrow is going in the freezer to put in some Lima beans later in the winter.




I will have to tell dh about the reason pork is eaten on NYD. I never heard that one, but knew that everyone around here does have pork that day.

 

[Goofycampers]

This is exactly how everyone I know cooks them except we use a ham bone (with a bit of meat still on it) and let it boil along with the peas. Salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg (like 1/4 tsp, really very little compared to the pot of peas being cooked.)

Now if I am cooking black eyed peas and not cooking meat to go with it, I will add a ham bone or ham hocks and some chunks of ham. Same as when I cook big white Lima beans. In fact, whatever is left from our Christmas ham tomorrow is going in the freezer to put in some Lima beans later in the winter.




I will have to tell dh about the reason pork is eaten on NYD. I never heard that one, but knew that everyone around here does have pork that day.

I've never heard that about the pork either but I like it. We always eat ham or pork roast though, so I guess it must mean somethin'.

 

[crazelion]

I have collard greens. I need go buy black eye peas.

I having collard greens, black eye peas, turkey, dressing, mash potato with gravy and cornbread for New Year's day.

I bought 2 turkeys at Wal-mart when they was cheap.

 

[sms]

This Carolina Girl is def. ready for some Blackeyed peas, collards and cornbread!!!

 

[mhsjax]

this carolina girl is def. Ready for some blackeyed peas, collards and cornbread!!!

yummy

 

[arkansas mom]

Black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, ham, corn bread. I never do the greens. Will a salad do?

 

[Bunless]

I need to eat approximately 10,000 black eyed peas on new years to get that perfect vacation I want.

I've never been able to find collard greens up here, in the northwest.

Thanks for the reminder! I grew up in, and family is eternally from, Georgia. I forget that in order to make any money next year, I need to eat my black eyed peas... according to my momma.

 

[Shmily1]

Someone needs to tell me how to cook Black eyed peas so they taste good. Husband and kids won't touch collard greens.

I made them once and they were so awful I threw them away.

And I've lived in Georgia for 23 years now. LOL

From one GA resident to another, the easiest way is to wash a bag of dried black eyed peas and make sure there are none that are just plain ugly! Put them in the crock pot with about a teaspoon and a half of salt and some pepper and a piece of ham or bacon. Cover with water, about an inch above the top of the peas. Put in the pot on low and cook all day. When you are ready for dinner, they are too yummy!!!

We don't do the greens either! They would make me !!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I bought collards, black eyed peas and Jiffy mix yesterday. I just need to decide on the meat. My crock pot broke yesterday!

I always take a plate to my 2 elderly neighbors across the street. I want to make sure they have a good year as well.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Maybe I'm not far enough south (or probably it's the fact that I was born and raised in the north), but we're having corned beef and cabbage for New Year's Day dinner. I've not heard of the tradition of black eyed peas and greens (and wouldn't know how to fix greens, anyway).

 

[Goofycampers]

I bought collards, black eyed peas and Jiffy mix yesterday. I just need to decide on the meat. My crock pot broke yesterday!

I always take a plate to my 2 elderly neighbors across the street. I want to make sure they have a good year as well.

Awww, that's nice, what a great way to start the new year.

 

[MrsSpratt]

I've made NYD food for the same group of friends for over 9 years now; NONE of them will eat Black-Eyed peas on their own, and one is vegetarian, so....

I make veggie chili with black eyed peas in it, served with coleslaw with grapes and a wasabi dressing and Jiffy cornbread. Delicious! And all of my friends get the luck and money they need for the new year?