Black Eyed Peas

[BillyBobThai]

I am looking for dried black eyed peas for new years. Have looked at Yok, Bakers Mart, Makro and Hang

Hang Dong Rimping. Any thoughts?

[NancyL]

I've found them at various Rim Ping stores and even at Tops at times with the other dried beans. McGarrett brand. Yum. Hoppin' John and corn bread for New Years.

[sappersrest]

Great band didn't know they were dried. good luck with your quest.

[NancyL]

McGarrett is a brand of dried bean products imported from the U.S. They have at least 10 - 15 legumes in their product line that I've seen stocked at Rim Ping and Tops. Very good quality products. A little pricey, but worth it for something like your New Years Hoppin' John.

[Mapguy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoppin%27_John

And good eating!

[elektrified]

O.K. I'm from the U.S. originally and have to admit I've never heard of this before. But following the wikipedia link provided above, I have to say it is interesting - and sounds pretty good too!

In the southern United States, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck.^[2][3] The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls.^[4]Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of American currency.^[5] Another traditional food, cornbread, can also be served to represent wealth, being the color of gold. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.^[6]

[NancyL]

Hubby's from South Carolina, so we always have Hoppin' John for New Year's Day. It's an easy and healthy meal for other times of the year, too. Black-eyed peas are readily available here.

It's easy to make Hoppin' John in a rice cooker. Just rinse and soak the BEP's overnight. Discard the water. Then bring them to a boil in the rice cooker for about 5 minutes and let it sit for about an hour (this is a step I didn't do in the U.S., but the BEPs seem to be "older" over here and need it). Discard the water.

Then, you can cook the BEPs and brown rice together in the rice cooker. Toss in a ham hock, or a few pieces of pork rib meat. I like to add thyme (not the lemon thyme they incorrectly label as regular thyme from the Royal Project), a bay leaf and a little paprika.

That's it, Hoppin' John. It's a very easy main dish to make. Fairly healthy. I sometimes use frozen turkey stock from my left over Thanksgiving stash and not ham. That's even healthier.

Toss in some celery toward the end of the cooking time or bell pepper just a minute before its done and you'll have extra veg and crunch, plus a nice green color. A little cilantro just before serving is nice, too.

Yum.

Edited December 27, 2014 by NancyL

[khwaibah]

DO NOT forget the collard greens.

[Ulysses G.]

DO NOT forget the collard greens.

There used to be a black American man, named Latiffe, with a decent BBQ restaurant in Chiang Mai, but I can't remember the name of the place. He made the most tasteless collard greens that I have ever had, but his baked beans and deviled eggs were the some of the best. I have a feeling that black eyed peas were on the menu too. Anyone know what happened to him?

[NancyL]

Collard greens, in general are tasteless. Hubby's from South Carolina and his parents had a five acre garden. Collard greens grew like weeds. They were featured at nearly every meal.

We lived south of Houston in the early days of our marriage and as a transplanted Yankee with an interest in gardening, I took on gardening as a hobby, enthusiastically learning about "Southern vegetables" that didn't grow in Up North. From Day One, Hubby made me promise not to grow collard greens.

I think I ate them at that same restaurant you're thinking of UG. My thought was "Gee, Hubby was absolutely right." Spinach is W-A-Y better, as is kale. Both are cooler weather crops. Hubby's parents stopped gardening in Sept-Oct. I recognized it was just getting to be good weather then, time for a second crops, and introduced him to a full range of cool weather vegetables. Spinach and kale were greens were ate almost all winter in Houston.

Edited December 28, 2014 by NancyL

[PJcm]

Collard greens, in general are tasteless. Hubby's from South Carolina and his parents had a five acre garden. Collard greens grew like weeds. They were featured at nearly every meal.

We lived south of Houston in the early days of our marriage and as a transplanted Yankee with an interest in gardening, I took on gardening as a hobby, enthusiastically learning about "Southern vegetables" that didn't grow in Up North. From Day One, Hubby made me promise not to grow collard greens.

I think I ate them at that same restaurant you're thinking of UG. My thought was "Gee, Hubby was absolutely right." Spinach is W-A-Y better, as is kale. Both are cooler weather crops. Hubby's parents stopped gardening in Sept-Oct. I recognized it was just getting to be good weather then, time for a second crops, and introduced him to a full range of cool weather vegetables. Spinach and kale were greens were ate almost all winter in Houston.

Try Swiss chard my favorite

[Ulysses G.]

I had really tasty collard greens at a soul food restaurant I used to frequent in Myrtle Beach South Carolina, so maybe I was just spoiled. As I remember, it was vinegar and other ingredients that gave it its flavor.

[khwaibah]

I had really tasty collard greens at a soul food restaurant I used to frequent in Myrtle Beach South Carolina, so maybe I was just spoiled. As I remember, it was vinegar and other ingredients that gave it its flavor.

My mom being from Arkansa would take yellow wax peppers soaked in a small bottle of white vinegar. The bottle was stored for a week before it was used and it was used on green beans, collard greens and anything else. She would have half a dozen of these bottles going at a time.

[NancyL]

Collard greens, in general are tasteless. Hubby's from South Carolina and his parents had a five acre garden. Collard greens grew like weeds. They were featured at nearly every meal.

We lived south of Houston in the early days of our marriage and as a transplanted Yankee with an interest in gardening, I took on gardening as a hobby, enthusiastically learning about "Southern vegetables" that didn't grow in Up North. From Day One, Hubby made me promise not to grow collard greens.

I think I ate them at that same restaurant you're thinking of UG. My thought was "Gee, Hubby was absolutely right." Spinach is W-A-Y better, as is kale. Both are cooler weather crops. Hubby's parents stopped gardening in Sept-Oct. I recognized it was just getting to be good weather then, time for a second crops, and introduced him to a full range of cool weather vegetables. Spinach and kale were greens were ate almost all winter in Houston.

Try Swiss chard my favorite

Yup, Swiss chard was in the winter garden as well. Hubby thought I was growing it for decorative purposes.

[junglechef]

I use Chinese Kale (Ka Na) when I prepare Brazilian style collar greens, works great.

There seems to be a shortage of McGarretts dried beans, I was looking for Garbonzo Beans and had a tough time but finally found a no name brand of USA imported beans at Rimping. Might want to check for these plain bags too.

[Ulysses G.]

I think I ate them at that same restaurant you're thinking of UG.

It was called "Hell's Kitchen". LaTiffe used to say that missionaries would not eat there because of the name. I really miss those baked beans and deviled eggs!