Greens and Blackeyed Peas for 2k8

Who celebrated new years by puttin greens and pennies in their pockets?

Post your New Year Holiday rituals if you vote other.

I grew up believing Black Eyed Peas on New Years day brings good luck.

You think I'm daft or something, skipping that? And what about the cornbread?

Happy 2008 xultar! :hug: :pals: :loveya:

I thought I had some in my freezer, like I usually do. Had to use brussels sprouts instead. Made a mash stew with corned beef, black eyed peas, potatoes and brussels sprout. It was okay.

It's a bastardization of my mom's meal where she made corned beef hash pocket sandwiches and black eyed peas. She would bug us until we ate the peas. Now that's she's gone I have to impose the same thing on my kid. Never heard of putting greens in my pockets though.

EDIT ADD: We also had sauerkraut. It's the German heritage.

Anyone hear different.

Just never heard of putting them in pockets before. But then, I'm a Texan raised by Okies.

(dating back to ancient Rome, I'm told)....

After a lifetime of waking to the unpleasant reality of boiled greens and black-eyed peas (both cooked with a ham hock, of course) - salvaged only by fresh cornbread . . .

Please tell me about this Italian tradition! Grapes sound soooo much more appealing!

for health in the New Year (obviously one tradition that medical science can support with fact).

But, in ancient times, it was the roundness of grapes that symbolized coins and thus wealth. In some tellings people would eat just 12 grapes (one for each month). If they chanced a sour grape, that month would not be fortuitous, but if sweet, the month would go well.

The black eyed pea biz also supposedly started because of the symbolism to coins. I think lentils are similarly considered fortuitous and in Japanese lore, the adjuki bean--all very round beans.


Now, I really like most beans (other than lima beans) but blackeyed peas are not my favs. But, I happened into Whole Foods and they had done up an entire deli offering of blackeyed peas with garlic, onion, small bits of pork and some other herbs/spices I couldn't quite tell. They were actually pretty good.

I don't mind black-eyed peas - or greens - but first thing in the morning on New Year's day is asking a lot from a kid, and we were all introduced to the tradition starting at age six. My gran would get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking, and the house absolutely reeked by breakfast.

Put me right off that particular holiday moment!

Grapes I can handle.

Thanks again!

My wife says you have to eat at least one black-eyed pea for each day of the new year to ensyrw luck. Looks like I may have gas tonight.

Collards, Hoppin' John, and turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. We do it up right. ;)

many variations on this theme. The main thing is the peas. ;-)
here's one version:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104452

Where is the love?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJV9EMkv0u4

And for greens...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxJrPxsCWy0

Heaven knows how bad our luck would be if we didn't eat this dish annually.

My husband is from the deep South, so it's a tradition he grew up with. I've used the same recipe for decades. Soak some black-eyed peas in water and coarse salt overnight. Drain and place in a pot. Dice six or so slices of bacon and saute in a pan till crisp. Lightly saute a chopped onion in the bacon drippings. Add the bacon and onions to the pot, cover with a few cups of cold water, and simmer for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, cook some long-grain rice. When done, add to the peas, along with the reserved bacon drippings, some salt and pepper, and a few dashes of Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce. Garnish with some scallions and parsley.

Good peasant fare that brings much nachas in the New Year.

black eyed peas yet? Well, not yet, but they are in the refrigerator getting cold cuz my partner made up a newer tradition for us. He makes Texas caviar for us instead of the boiled peas. He gets the peas and cooks them, then mixes them with chopped tomatoes, some jalapenos, minced onions (red), adds a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and puts them in the fridge to get real cold. They are a great break from tradition while still adhering to the 'rules'. It's a Southern thing.

Day any more. We had roast duck, wild rice, cranberry-orange sauce, and sauteed green beans with tarragon with champagne to drink. It's our once a year duck extravaganza.

to encourage money to come into the house

their wallets.

I had a couple of bites of cabbage, I hate the stuff and a bunch of peas. And cornbread. :)

Sometime you gotta go with the hambone you have, instead of the hambone you'd like.

Being raised here in Tn, it was always greens, black-eyed peas and Hog jowl.

But the family is all gone and I live alone. It's just not practical for me
to make a pot of peas or greens that I'll never be able to finish.

I had one of those little 5 oz bacon-wrapped beef fillets
and a can of mixed veggies. grill and microwave. on paper plate.
No pots to wash. (no running water on this boat anyway)

potatoes with bananna pudding for dessert. :thumbsup:

and should be cooked in an iron frying pan. At least that's the way my mother made it.

I made glazed carrots instead, and stuffed pork ribs. Did I fuck up?

... along with cornbread and ham. Tasty and lucky :)

So I had a few bites of red beans and rice. Does that count? Oh, and I ate pork, in the northern tradition, so I think I have most of the bases covered. :crossesfingers:

It was the only cabbage I had. It seems there was one other thing, but I can't remember what it is. Blackeye peas for luck, cabbage for money?

and drank spumante. :)

We had pork and sauerkraut like we do every New Year. We're from Pennsylvania Dutch country. :)

Decided to skip it this year, see if that helps

:-)
edit: roasted a leg of lamb too
!

but I'm back in my college town with friends, so I had Chinese buffet food instead. Not that having blackeyed peas for New Years had worked so well before.

Our neighbors do this every year, even though they are not from the South, they were born and raised here in San Diego. But they still have this party for this purpose, and it is a social occasion in the neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited. They cook a huget pot of blackeyed peas and they cook greens, and it's also a potluck - everyone brings something else to eat. We brought chocolate chip cookies, which as usual, disappeared almost instantly.

This was the 4th time we went to this New Year's Day party. Last year, I ate the blackeyed peas and greens, and had an unlucky 2007- I was burglarlized in May to the tune of $2000 worth of stuff. This year (yesterday) at the party I steered clear of both the blackeyed peas and greens. Today, I did a profit of about $200 with my small online business. So the opposite works for me - if I eat the blackeyed peas and greens, I have a bad year, but if I avoid them, I have a good year.