Folklore has it that whatever you are doing on the first day of the year determines how the year goes.
In the South almost everyone I know serves some version of blackeyed peas today.
The idea being that having the swelling of the beans and often rice represents the swelling
of riches throughout the year.
I think there may be as many recipes for Hoppin' John as there are southern states.
My recipe is slightly different, but I use the basic concept of this Emeril recipe.
Of course, I have to change a few things.
1. I start my beans early in the morning in the crockpot and later divide them into two because daughter won't touch Hoppin' John.
2. I add onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper and carrots. I add carrots because I like the color.
3. I used ham broth/juice from the Christmas ham (about a pint) in place of the ham hock.
Less fat, but still a great flavor.
4. Instead of chicken broth I used low sodium beef broth....part of a container and then the rest to go in the rice.
5. I cook brown rice separately (again for daughter).
6. I also like to eat mine soupy, because the broth is the best part.
Looks good, Shara. We did not do the traditional black eyed peas here today, but had tacos instead. Yours look great though! :)
ReplyDeleteWe love tacos, too.
DeleteWe have enough blackeyed peas to add to another dish left over.
Interesting reason for eating rice and beans on New Years Day. Wonder what the reason is for the pork and sauerkraut that many others eat on New Year's Day?
ReplyDeleteI don't know but is interesting.
DeleteI often wonder if everyone wasn't eating what they had on hand for the winter months...lol.
Beans and rice are easy staples. Pork from the fall hog killings would be available and sauerkraut is definitely a storage food.