The Quest of the Black-eyed Peas...

[dreamflower]

Now, as many Americans know (especially those of the Southern variety) a New Year's Day must not pass without eating black-eyed peas and greens. To do so is as bad as breaking a mirror or a chain letter! Why, prosperity for the whole year depends on ingesting those particular items!

Unfortunately, I had no black-eyed peas on hand. The can I *thought* was black-eyed peas on my shelf were simply a can of pinto beans, in a different brand than I normally buy. Alas!

So after lunch, the DH and I set out on a two-fold Quest: to pick up my paycheck and also a can of black-eyed peas. Braum's unfortunately does not carry black-eyed peas, so we ventured to the nearby Wally World. Arriving at Walmart, I went to the grocery side and found the canned vegetable aisle, where stood a dozen people staring in dismay at a blank space on the shelves: NO black-eyed peas! Not in cans OR dried! A Walmart associate came to the aisle to announce that there were no cans of black-eyed peas in the store, nor bags of dried either. But she was fairly sure there were some frozen ones in the freezer section.

I managed to race ahead of the ensuing stampede to the freezer case, only to find that there were no frozen black-eyed peas either!

So I sadly trudged back to the car, and we tried the other grocery store in town, only to find no black-eyed peas of any kind there as well. Then we tried the two Dollar General stores only to find they had just sold out--the manager of the second one told me he had sold four cases today!

Now, that meant there were no more stores in town where I could hope to find the precious black-eyed peas. I was castigating myself soundly--for without black-eyed peas, how could we be expected to survive the coming year?!?

But the DH, my knight in shining armor, would not give up.

We drove ten miles to the next town, where there was a Piggly-Wiggly! There, I found a few cans of black-eyed peas on the shelf. Not wishing to be greedy, I took only two, and we made our triumphant way home!

Now our New Year will be prosperous and happy!!!

However, our "little errand" took nearly four hours.

Comments

[shirebound]

Disaster averted! Whew.

Now write "buy black-eyed peas" on your calendar for November, and stash them away for New Year's 2010.

[dreamflower]

*grin*

[elandulin.livejournal.com]

May your perseverance be rewarded all the new year long!

[dreamflower]

I most certainly hope so!!

[gamgeefest.livejournal.com]

Now that's dedication! Your husband gets brownie points for perserverance.

You know, I never eaten black-eyed peas before. The only New Year tradition we have is watching the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl and putting away the Xmas decorations.

[dreamflower]

Well, we watched the Rose Parade this morning on HGTV. We aren't much for football, though.

Some people *hate* black-eyed peas, and I must admit if they are not cooked properly, they are pretty nasty. But I love them cooked with a bit of ham or salt pork! Traditionally they are eaten on New Year's with greens (usually collard, turnip or mustard greens. I prefer spinach), rice, stewed tomatoes and cornbread. Corned beef or pork is usually the meat that goes with them.

[fantasy-fan.livejournal.com]

That must be what I've been doing wrong all this time! I've never had black eyed peas, and I only had greens for the first time this Thanksgiving. Now I know what to blame all my bad luck on - I would have never figured it out.

[dreamflower]

Well, there, now see what you've been missing!!

[coneygoil.livejournal.com]

I hope this New Year will be prosperous and happy, Barbara!

[dreamflower]

So do I! Did you have your black-eyed-peas and greens, Nina?

[obeliamedusa.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad your quest had a happy ending! I've never even had black eyed peas. Maybe I will try them for the first time in 2009. :P

[dreamflower]

I hope you like them! I really prefer frozen to canned or dried, but canned are easiest. I find them yummy when ladeled over cornbread with stewed tomatoes!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Whew! I'm so glad you found your black eyed peas.

[dreamflower]

So am I! No telling what disaster we averted!

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

LOL Next year, you'll have to special order them from the south. Happy New Year!

[dreamflower]

Could be next year I'll have some from my own garden! They freeze very well.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

black-eyed peas are supposed to be the closest things to "pigeon peas" which are used in a lot of Trinidadian cooking! :) Er...now if I want to make pelau I know I might have to go on a long quest to find them! :D Glad you found yours! :)

[dreamflower]

Well, only if you want to make them on New Year's Day! The rest of the time, I never have any trouble finding them, LOL!

But it really seems to be an ingrained tradition in certain parts of the country. See, the idea is that black-eyed peas are "poor folks'" food, but that if you eat them on New Years, you are showing how humble you are, so you deserve prosperity for the rest of the year! And of course, greens are for money.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

That was a rather long trip for some black eyed peas. I hope your year will be prosperous indeed! :D I'm glad you found the peas though.

*hugs*

[dreamflower]

So am I. Apart from the superstition of it, I really like them, and had planned the rest of my meal around them--so their lack would have been keenly felt!

[thebeecharmer.livejournal.com]

You poor thing! Here we have a thing called Hopping John which has black eyed peas, pork and rice among other things. And yes, we had it!


Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year.
Rice for riches and peas for peace.
- Southern saying on eating a dish of Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.


Hoppin' John History

Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. Gullah or Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Carolinas, especially the Sea islands (a cluster of islands stretching along the coats of south Carolina and southern Georgia). Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce.

This African-American dish is traditionally a high point of New Year's Day, when a shiny dime is often buried among the black-eyed peas before serving. whoever get the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the year. For maximum good luck in the new year, the first thing that should be eaten on New year's Day is Hoppin' John. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, many southern families toast each other with Champagne and a bowl of Hoppin' John. If it is served with collard greens you might, or might not, get rich during the coming year.

There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately.

Most food historians generally agree that "Hopping John" is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name:

*

It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and h op around the table before sitting down to eat.

*

A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove.

*

An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John"

*

The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was know as Hoppin' John.

[dreamflower]

I'm familiar with Hoppin' John, but I usually just cook all the veggies and rice and meat separately, and then put rice on my plate, topped with some stewed tomatoes and black-eyed peas, which I think is basically the same thing. But most recipes for Hoppin' John that I've seen (though I'm most familiar with the Gulf Coast versions) also call for lots of hot stuff, which I can't eat.

I'm also a bad Southern girl, 'cause I don't like most greens. Spinach, yes, but not collards or mustard greens or turnip greens. I fix the latter for the DH, though, and spinach for me.

Those are all interesting stories about the name. I wonder which, if any, of them, are true?