TRADITIONAL MENU FOR NEW YEARS DAY

Tradition says that eating Hoppin’ John, collard greens and cornbread on New Year’s Day will bring a year filled with good luck. Made of black-eyed peas and rice, seasoned with ham hocks, onions, green peppers, and spices, the origin of the name is unknown, but it’s thought to be a slave dish from the colonial era. A bottle of Champagne could not hurt!

HOPPIN JOHN

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cups soaked black-eyed peas

5 cups chicken broth

1 ham hock

Salt And pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Cooked white or brown rice

(Soak black-eyed peas in cool water for at least 6 hours. Rinse before using.)

Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery and stir. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in soaked beans, then add chicken broth, ham hock, salt & pepper, and cayenne to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pot for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check the liquid level; if it's too soupy, cook with the lid off for another 15 minutes or so. If it's too thick, splash in a little more broth.

Stir in vinegar, then taste for seasonings. Add more spice if needed.

Serve over white or brown rice, making sure to get plenty of the cooking liquid spooned over the top. Or, you may mix the bean mixture with the rice before serving.

Pioneer Woman Cooks

COLLARD GREENS WITH BACON AND BEER

2 bunches fresh collard greens

1/4 lb local bacon diced

1 onion diced

1 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 bottle local beer

Wash the collards in cold water and drain. Cut out the stems and set aside. Chop the leaves coarsely. Chop the stems more finely. Render the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until cooked through. Remove the pieces from the pan, turn up the heat and cook the onions and stems in the remaining fat until soft. Return the bacon to the pan and add the chopped greens. Add the beer, Tabasco, and vinegar. Cook until the greens wilt into the liquid. Stir, turn down to a simmer, and cook for about an hour. Serve as a side dish, or with Hoppin John for a traditional meal.

Burk

CORNBREAD

1 1/4 cups coarsely ground cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup whole milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a 9-inch cast iron skillet inside to heat while you make the batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the milk, buttermilk, and eggs. Whisk in almost all of the melted butter, reserving about 1 tablespoon for the skillet later on.

Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of the hot skillet with the remaining butter. Pour the batter into the skillet and place it in the center of the oven. Bake until the center is firm and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.

Food Network