Complied by Amanda Kimble
TheFlashToday.com
ERATH COUNTY (January 1, 2017) – Once regarded as a crop only fit for consumption by livestock and slaves, black-eyed peas have since become a dinner table staple and culinary tradition deeply rooted in New Year’s celebrations.
The tradition, according to a history – and a side of southern folklore – dates back to the American Civil War, 1861-1865.
The war was the single most deadly for American soldiers, with widespread destruction, and, as the story goes, Union General William T. Sherman and his troops moved into the heart of Confederate territory in Georgia and South Carolina, destroying economic infrastructure. They stole and destroyed crops, only leaving behind fields of black-eyed-peas. The overlooked legume became a major food source for surviving Confederate troops.
The Northern victory was credited with preserving the United States as a single nation and ending slavery, and despite the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives, the black-eyed pea emerged as symbol of luck and prosperity.
Eating black-eyed peas may prove as prosperous as using the same coin to reveal the numbers on another $5 scratch-off lottery ticket, but The Flash has uprooted a couple of our favorite black-eyed recipes for readers to enjoy.
Try one or two and know as you enter 2017, and eat them knowing you’ve been blessed with the luck of ringing in another new year.
Texas Caviar
In the Lone Star State, we love chips and salsa and can work a nice, ripe avocado and jalapenos into just about any recipe, so it’s no surprise Texas Caviar is a favorite.
A concoction of canned and fresh ingredients, the recipe can be altered to serve a big crowd or dished up for just a few. The ingredients and can be adjusted to satisfy palates that crave flavors that are crazy hot or tamed for those that can’t take the heat.
Like most dishes that pack a lot of flavor, this one can be prepared in advance and chilled to bring out the best of the jalapenos, cilantro and garlic. It can also be whipped up on the spot and satisfy guests as a last minute preparation.
Perhaps the best part about the dish it the preparation, just mix and serve.
Ingredients:
- Four cans of drained black-eyed peas
- Two or three small avocados, chopped
- One small white onion, finely chopped
- Three Roma tomatoes, chopped
- Two to three spoons of minced garlic
- Two fresh jalapenos, cleaned and diced
- One-half bunch of fresh cilantro
- Juice from half a lime
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Variations:
Add a little Habanero pepper for added kick. Use Tajin seasoning instead of salt and pepper. Use white vinegar instead of fresh lime. Add a can of whole kernel corn. Swap blacked-eyed peas for black beans if you’re not superstitious.
Sausage jambalaya with black-eyed peas
Ingredients:
- Half-pound smoked sausage or ground sausage (we like smoked with jalapeno or spicy ground)
- Oil (we prefer olive oil)
- One small white onion, chopped
- One red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- A couple spoons of minced garlic
- A couple stalks of celery, chopped
- One cup uncooked brown rice
- One can of drained black-eyed peas
- Two cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (or use one broth and one cup of water)
- ¼ cup butter (or more, less)
- Seasonings, toppings to taste or preference: Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, chives
Preparation:
In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot (with lid) brown sausage in hot oil and add Cajun seasoning. Mix in minced garlic, chopped onion, red bell pepper and celery. Cover and cook over medium heat 20 to 30 minutes, or until pork is nearly done. Skim off fat. Add water and/or broth, butter, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Add rice and black-eyed peas and stir. Cover and cook about 25 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Variations:
If your loved ones don’t dine on swine, use ground beef, chunks of boneless skinless chicken or ground turkey.
Other ideas:
- Black-eyed Pea Soup
- Ham and Black-eyed Pea Soup with Collard Greens
- Cucumber and Black-eyed Pea Salad
- Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto
- Slow Cooker Black-eyed Peas
Information was obtaining from About Travel and the Civil War Trust. Recipes were contributed from local kitchens and other online sources.
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