Superstitions
abound on New Year’s Day. In my family I always make a big pot of
Black-eyed peas with tomatoes and rice for luck, but why are they lucky?
Well, in
the south the story goes that when Sherman’s troops raided the south they took
everything but the black-eyed peas, which they considered animal food. So
the southerners made it through the winter on black-eyed peas. They were
lucky and they credited the black-eyed peas.
Since I
grew up in the south, that theory works for me, but my parents from whom I got
this superstition were northerners and their parents came from Greece so none
of my ancestors were around when the Southerners were eating those peas.
While we
are talking about my Greek ancestors I’ve always been told that a man has to be
the first visitor on New Year’s Day. My grandmother would not open the
door unless it was a man. My mother always a rule breaker, made my
brothers go outside and come back in just to be safe. They weren’t men
but hey they had that Y Chromosome so it worked for her.
So just
to be safe I guess I will go soak those dried black-eyed peas now. I mean why
push my luck right?
What
about you, what do you do for New Year’s Day?
Black-eyed
peas with tomatoes and rice recipe
Bag of
dried black eyed peas, soaked overnight as per the package instructions
I cup of
white rice
Two cans
of diced tomatoes
Clove of
garlic finely chopped
¼ cup of
finely chopped onions
Soak the
peas overnight. Add water to cover peas and bring to a boil. Simmer till the peas are tender. Meanwhile cook rice as package directs. In a small saucepan add a bit of oil and cook
onions and garlic till just tender. Do
not brown. Add the rice, garlic, onion
and two cans of diced tomatoes to the peas.
Add salt and pepper to taste, simmer till hot throughout. The black-eyed peas get better with each
heating as the flavors meld.
