I love Christmas, but truthfully, by Christmas Day night, I am ready to have the house back to normal….. the most important “de-holidaying” is getting the kitchen back in shape. That means I no longer have to keep a minimum of 5 pounds of butter and 36 eggs in the refrigerator. The carton of milk returns to a quart of 2% instead of a gallon of whole milk, 2 quarts of heavy cream and 2 quarts of half and half. It takes me a while to get all of this accomplished, but I do start on Christmas Day night. I’d like to think I would shed the pounds I’ve gained from Thanksgiving to Christmas just by ridding myself of butter and cream, but alas, the pounds remain way into springtime, and usually, beyond!

I hope your Christmas wasn’t messed up by the blizzard that hit the Midwest. Mother Nature and Jack Frost joined efforts to create havoc in the Kansas City area, successfully changing plans for many families. Mine was fortunate to not have anyone arriving on flights or traveling by car.

So, here we are, a few days till the end of 2009. I haven’t done much partying on New Year’s Eve for the last 3 years, and I don’t think I want to return to wild partying anytime soon. No, I think a nice quiet evening at home is how I will be spending the evening. Arch and I used to have big New Year’s Eve parties at our home, usually having around 35 guests and food galore. Arch always made his Black-eyed Peas, traditionally good luck to all who eat them on New Year’s Day. After midnight, Arch would serve his specialty along with big chunks of hot cornbread. Those were the days.
You do know that Black-eyed Peas are not really peas at all, don’t you? They are actually beans. According to the USDA they are high in potassium, iron, and fiber. In fact, a one-cup serving of cooked black-eyed peas supplies 11 grams of fiber, almost half of the daily requirement. They are also extremely low in fat. Certainly the nutritional aspects of black-eyed peas should be convincing enough to serve them often.
Arch’s recipe for black-eyed peas is easy and takes very little hands-on time. The cooking method may be adapted to suit you, but he always simmered them slowly on the stove. But they can be cooked in a slow cooker, or prepared quickly in a pressure cooker. They may also be cooked ahead and refrigerated for up to three days; simply reheat, adding additional water if necessary.
Arch's Black-eyed Peas with Ham Hocks
6 Servings
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
3 cups water
3 meaty ham hocks
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
additional salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
· Sort the peas, removing any broken ones or rocks; rinse well and place in a large saucepan.
· Cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes.
· Let the peas sit for at least 1 hour; drain.
· Return the peas to the pan and add the water;
· Bring the peas to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until the peas are almost tender, 1-2 hours.
· Add the remaining ingredients and simmer covered until the beans are very soft and tender, checking periodically to make sure there is enough water.
· About 15 minutes before serving, remove the ham hocks from the mixture; remove the meat from the hocks, chop, and add back in to the peas.
· Taste for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary.
· Simmer for about 10 more minutes, then serve.
Happy New Year!