Southern Food: Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

Southern food has a bad reputation these days. On the news, they’ll talk about the latest obesity statistics, where the American South excels other regions, and inevitably talk about the horribly fat, sugar, and salt laden traditional foods of the south. In contrast, when I was growing up in the south (mind you this was many years ago), I remember things like vegetables, fresh corn on the cob, and huge bags of fresh peaches from the farmer’s market for like a dollar for the whole bag. The neighbors, who had grown up in the south, would prepare delicious meals like butter beans boiled with a hambone, greens. This would be served with cornbread, and in the peak of summer, tomatoes from the garden. Dessert would be watermelon, juicy and sweet, the kind with seeds. Not only sounds delicious, but sounds pretty healthy (and frugal) too.

I’ve still retained a love of black eyed peas and their earthy taste is especially good with the traditional pork. I also like collard greens and fix them regularly by buying the prewashed greens in the market. I serve the beans over a bed of greens in big bowls and have the vinegar and hot sauce available. For New Year’s, the black eyed peas represent good luck, and the greens represent prosperity.

Black Eyed Peas

1 pound dried black eyed peas
1 large ham hock
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
Red pepper
2 bay leaves

Soak the dried peas overnight. In the morning rinse and drain the peas and add to a crockpot. Mix in the other ingredients and bury the hamhock into the peas. Add 4-5 cups of water. Cook on low for around 8 hours. Toward the end of the cooking time, remove the hamhock, let cool slightly. Shred the meat from the ham hock and add back to the beans.  [Note: pinto beans can be prepared in the same way.  Prepare as above using 1 pound of dried pinto beans.  These will cook quicker than black-eyed peas, and should be done about an hour earlier.]

Collard Greens

1 pound of collard greens, washed and cut to 1 inch ribbons
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
Red pepper to taste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup of water
Olive oil

In a large soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add the collard greens a few handfuls at a time and sauté to cook down. When greens are wilted, add red pepper water and apple cider vinegar. Bring to full boil, then cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until greens are tender. Serve with hot peppers and more vinegar.

shared at Ultimate Recipe Swap and  Grocery Cart Challenge