New Year's Eve / Day cooking?

My menu is similar to Franks---black-eyed peas, collard greens, brisket or pot roast, and cornbread. This year, NYE or NYD didn't go as planned. I spent NYE on a layover in San Diego. Not complaining, I was flying with a friend and her family lives there. Lots of food and wine, but in bed way before midnight. However, I had planned my annual New Year's Day party and had thirteen people coming over for dinner at 5:30 Then, I received the dreaded phone call and my trip was rerouted (damn fog) and was stuck in San Diego all day and wasn't scheduled to get home until 10pm last night. So, party was rescheduled for tonight. Now, I'm headed to the kitchen to start the peas, the greens and rewarm the brisket (that Tony made on Wednesday). Hope the black-eyed peas will still give me good luck even if it's a day late!

[Jenise]

Hope the black-eyed peas will still give me good luck even if it's a day late!

Bummer on your delays but I'm sure the pea gods will be entirely understanding. They better, I was too sick to go to the store for peas so we settled for good luck Pennsylvania style--sauerkraut and pork.

On your peas, were the collard greens part of the dish or a separate dish? And, when you make collards, how do you prepare them? Believe it or not, I woke up in the middle of the night and was hungry for couscous and greens. Not a dish that exists together in my consciousness, btw, but I'm craving greens and the couscous sounded, at least at 3 a.m., like the perfect background for them.

Nobody much felt like cooking on NYD, so I improvised a quick one-pot soup/stew from what was on hand that all 4 of us enjoyed.

Sautee a large onion and 3 carrots, coarsely chopped, in a little EVOO. Add 1 pound of lean ground sirloin and brown the meat. Add a pound (quart bag, really) of crowder peas from the freezer, a cup of brown rice, some sea salt, black pepper, a teaspoon or so of dried oregano, a teaspoon ground cumin, a teaspoon ground chile (didn't use the really hot stuff because the rest of the family can't handle it, more's the pity), and a tablespoon of truffle oil that baby sis got me for Christmas (from Williams Sonoma - much better than the truffle honey last year!). Simmered on low until rice and peas were done, about an hour.

Nobody much felt like cooking on NYD, so I improvised a quick one-pot soup/stew from what was on hand that all 4 of us enjoyed.

Sautee a large onion and 3 carrots, coarsely chopped, in a little EVOO. Add 1 pound of lean ground sirloin and brown the meat. Add a pound (quart bag, really) of crowder peas from the freezer, a cup of brown rice, some sea salt, black pepper, a teaspoon or so of dried oregano, a teaspoon ground cumin, a teaspoon ground chile (didn't use the really hot stuff because the rest of the family can't handle it, more's the pity), and a tablespoon of truffle oil that baby sis got me for Christmas (from Williams Sonoma - much better than the truffle honey last year!). Simmered on low until rice and peas were done, about an hour.

Given my culinary skills, I'm hardly the one to question anyone, but........was there any large liquid item in this dish? Something like a quart of chicken broth or water?

Actually, you are correct. A quart of chicken stock was added.

I've never heard of combining black eyed peas and collards.

My mother would cook the leaves whole, but they are enormous. I make a chiffonade, stem the big leaves (huge center veins ought to be removed) and roll them into a cylinder and cut strips about 1 inch wide. If you have the time, get some smoky ham hocks and boil for about an hour in advance to flavor the cooking water. I didn't have ham hocks so I fried a couple of pieces of bacon and removed them, and then sweated some chopped onion and garlic in the bacon grease. Threw in the chiffonade and then added water to cover. You want to add some salt, sugar, and vinegar to the cooking water, and I threw in some ham to boil with the greens. Taste for tenderness, you probably need to cook for about 45 minutes. When you serve it is good to serve with southern style pepper sauce.

To make southern style pepper sauce get some small peppers that will fit into the neck of a clear glass wine bottle (Sauternes, rose, and rose Champagne come in clear bottles). I get the little hot finger peppers at Costco, red, yellow, and green. Poke holes in the peppers with a pin and take off the stem. Boil some vinegar. Push a batch of peppers into the wine bottle and cover with boiling vinegar. White vinegar works, cider vinegar probably works better. Cork and allow to sit for a week or two before using. The vinegar gets hot and peppery. Required for greens and beans in the South.

F

What Frank said---separately. I used onion, garlic, a ham hock, water and a can of chicken broth. Simmer for about an hour. Some folks like to add a little hot sauce at the end, but I like it just as is.

So, you're craving greens? Remember that kale and pasta recipe JD posted years ago? That's probably my all-time favorite 'green' recipe.