12/27/13

Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens: a New Year's Tradition

Why Southerners eat black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day and recipes for both!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. WHERE THE TRADITION STARTED
  2. BLACK-EYED PEAS RECIPE
  3. COLLARD GREENS RECIPE
  4. TRADITIONAL RECIPES TO SERVE WITH THEM

There are a few things we take pretty seriously down here in the South. The first is college football. Can I get an Amen?

Two other things we’re pretty serious about are tradition and superstition. And those last two go hand-in-hand in the South on New Year’s Day.

It’s a Southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day for good luck in the new year. And more specifically, the superstition is that eating collard greens on New Year’s Day will bring you dollar bills and eating black-eyed peas will bring you cents throughout the upcoming year.

HOW DID THE TRADITION OF EATING BLACK-EYED PEAS & COLLARD GREENS ON NEW YEAR'S GET STARTED?

There are lots of theories as to why this is, but my favorite, and I think maybe most likely to be true, is that when Sherman’s troops raided the food supplies of the South during the Civil War, they stuck their noses up at the peas and greens and left them behind (they thought they were feed for the animals – what a bunch of dummies!).

The Southerners considered themselves lucky to have been left with these hearty staples, which sustained them through the winters, so black-eyed peas and collard greens became symbols of good luck.

So every year, you can count on finding a big pot of black-eyed peas and a skillet of collard greens on almost every stove south of the Mason-Dixon line. I like to serve mine with a mess of Ribs & Rice, Charleston Red Rice or Neck Bones & Rice . Ooo-weee, don’t that all just sound good?! I’m ready to eat it all now!

Recipe for Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

Recipe for Collard Greens Recipe

Collard Greens Recipe

SOUTHERN RECIPES TO SERVE WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS AND COLLARD GREENS ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

You can serve anything from Baked Country-Style Ribs to Fried Cubed Steak with black-eyed peas and collard greens but my family always serves some sort of pork and rice main dish. Along with the baked sweet potatoes, you can guarantee we’ll have one of the following recipes come New Year’s Day!

Ribs & Rice - An old-school Southern recipe made with rice cooked in a rich stock made from slowly cooked country-style ribs.

Charleston Red Rice - A Lowcountry recipe popular from Charleston to Savannah, made from rice cooked with bacon and a tomato broth seasoned with peppers and onions perfected by the Gullah and Geechee.

Neck Bones & Rice - A rustic Southern recipe of rice cooked in the savory stock from slowly simmered pork neck bones.


15 comments:

  1. I love the tradition !
    My parents have always been faithful in observing it !
    http://patricianeelydorsey.blogspot.com/2013/12/ringing-in-new-yearwith-greens-and.html

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  2. I make black-eyed peas and cornbread every year for Thanksgiving (not bad for a west coast gal) since moving to Utah I have a hard time finding collard greens.

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  3. Chickens scratch backwards, they symbolize setbacks & regression. Pigs root forward, symbolizing progress, cows stand still. Pork plays a huge part in the traditional New Year's Day meal. Never ever chicken.

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  4. I made my Hoppin' John with ham hocks and kale this year. Getting ready to have the leftovers in a few minutes. So I'm ready for all of the good luck that's coming my way in this new year. Happy New Year to everyone!!!

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  5. Yes some of us here in Illinois also recognize the tradition. I will be having mine with Pork on New Years Day...Happy New Year Ya'll

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    1. You've spelled it wrong...It's Ill-ANNOY! =8-0

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  6. NC posting here. Of course pork, because pigs cannot look behind themselves without turning totally around. Hinse a new start for the New Year. Right? Love black eyed peas, collards and pork for New Years.

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  7. Yes sir!! Made black eyed peas and rice, collards, corn bread and (what we spell) perlou, made with smoked sausage, chicken and oysters. Talk about slap yo pappy!! One observation, though...how many people were you cooking for? There is no way I could fit my collards into a skillet!

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    Replies
    1. That all sounds delicious! I usually cook two bunches. I can't fit them all in at once, just add more to the skillet as they cook down. I think my skillet is 14-16 inches or so and about 4 inches deep.

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  8. Yes sir, I made hoppin john, corn bread and collards. Even made (what we spell) perlou with Chicken, smoked sausage and oysters. Just wondering, how many were you cooking for? There's no way I could've fit my collards in a skillet!!

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  9. I cook black-eyed peas and greens every New Year, with pork, sweet potatoes and corn bread. A friend told me to keep dried black-eyed peas in my wallet, so I would always have money in it. I do this every year now.

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    1. By keeping the peas in your wallet has it worked?

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    2. My parents always made sure on New Years Day we ate black eye peas cooked with ham hock, and fried salt pork. I have continued the tradition but added collard greens & love them! Not sure why my parents never cooked them.
      Happy New Year to all!

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  10. I just made the BEST New Years dinner I've ever had! With your recipes, thank you Mandy! Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas were the best ever, mine took about 1 hr less time, must have been the pot or temp. Spiffy Jiffy Cornbread was the best ever, I did a 1/2 with one box of the Jiffy Honey Cornbread mix, wasn't sure it would work, but it was absolutely delicious! Then there was the Charleston Red Rice! I can't say enough. I know, I know - it doesn't really GO with the beans - but it did. It really did! On the side - I just found that recipe on the email, it sounded so good, so I went for it. It is perfect! I will look for more recipes in the Gullah and Geechee line, for sure. Mine was perfect at the 45 min mark. It will warm up nicely and I may try it with a couple fried eggs on top tomorrow! Yum Yum, thank you! Your recipes don't fail.

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    Replies
    1. You 100% just made my day! Thank you and Happy New Year!

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