I’ve been on a Southern kick recently, and nothing is more Southern than black eyed peas. In the not too distant past, if you lived in a small Southern town, you almost certainly had a small backyard garden. Tomatoes were always the royalty of the garden, but you really have to know what you are doing to get a good tomato crop. I tried for years and always failed. But tomatoes were a small part of the annual garden crop.
The backyard garden was not a hobby, it was an important part of diet for many families and planting plants that would produce all year or could be dried or canned was important. Collard greens are a good example, it’s a fall crop but the entire plant is not harvested, but a few leafs are taken from each plant to make a mess, and the plant would continue to put out new ones. Peas and beans were very important too because they dried so well. A big crop of peas could keep your family fed all winter long. I like them all, but black-eyed peas are one of my favorites.
The best black eyed peas are fresh, frozen are ok too, and believe it or not, canned can be pretty darn good too. I avoided canned vegetables until I heard Chef Anthony Bourdain proclaim that canned veggies were fine, you just need to rinse the goop off before using.
To make canned black-eyed peas into something your family will enjoy is pretty simple. Start by browning cubes of ham, or sausage (Conecuh of course!) in good oil, add diced onion, bell pepper (I like to use both red and green only because it looks more interesting), and at the end, lots of garlic. When everything is nice and brown, add chicken stock (of course, homemade is best) and simmer for half an hour, then add the peas and cook for fifteen more minutes. Remember to season with red pepper flakes and Tony’ s as you go, never all at once.
Now, what to serve with your delicious pot of peas? Chow-chow is always a good idea (1 can whole tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, almost a cup of vinegar, and a good pinch of sugar, add a few cloves and simmer until thick, about 45 minutes). Cornbread is another good idea. I always use Original Grit girl corn meal and follow the instructions on the back. Hot cornbread, with lots of butter, a big scoop of black-eyed peas, and a dollop of chow-chow is just hard to beat.
Enjoy!