Good bread. Butter. An apple. Cheese. Things don’t always need to be overwrought, covered in gold leaf or served in a complicated manner. After weeks of holiday celebrating, it’s nice to focus on simplicity.
This is a basic dish made with inexpensive ingredients that traditionally represent what we want in the new year. Black-eyed peas bring good fortune, collard greens or kale represent money and pork is said to bring health and wealth. Serve with hot sauce and cornbread or over rice, and raise a glass to a wonderful 2018 for all!
Black-Eyed Peas and Greens
8 to 10 servings
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped shallot
¾ lb. kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into ½-inch slices
2 to 3 cups chicken stock
3 cups kale or collard greens, stems removed and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• In a saucepan, cover the black-eyed peas with cold water by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil over high heat and boil peas 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the black-eyed peas soak 1 hour. Drain, rinse well and set aside.
• In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and sausage and saute until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and black-eyed peas, bring to a simmer, cover and cook 10 minutes.
• Add the greens and more broth if the mixture looks dry. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dee Ryan is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine who regularly pens Just Five.
This article appears in December 2017.