Black-Eyed Peas and Twenty-Sixteen

2016. WTF.

Well, I can't complain. I had an absolutely amazing year full of pretty unbelievable things. I released my debut novel, Southern Solstice, I met my brother (you wouldn't believe it if I told you) and I got chickens.

I wanted to share my favorite recipes for a traditional New Year's Day meal of black-eyed peas, cornbread and greens. The meal is meant to bring good luck and fortune and, since I ate it last year and that turned out pretty a-okay, I can testify that it works.

Black Eyed Peas

Fresh black-eyed peas are unrivaled if you find them available, but dried beans work just the same though they require a bit more preparation and even more forethought. You can always buy canned black-eyed peas, but if you go this lazy route, reduce the salt you use while cooking and don't add any water to your sautéed carrots/onion mixture.

You will need:

1 small onion

2 medium carrots

2 cloves garlic

1/2 pound black eyed peas

salt and pepper to taste

MEAT EATERS: Add ham if you want. I don't want and it's really a delicious veggie dish that I recommend trying meat-free.

FOR FRESH PEAS:

Chop the onion and carrots in small pieces (try to make them the same size as the peas so it's uniform). Place in a medium/large pot with a pad of butter and sauté until the carrots are tender and the onions are transluscent (about 10 minutes).

Add the uncooked peas and pour in enough water to cover the peas, carrots and onions plus 2 inches. Add diced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Brings to a boil and reduce, simmering for 30 minutes or until the peas are fork-soft.

FOR DRY PEAS:

Soak the peas overnight, rinse then bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

Chop the onion and carrots in small pieces (try to make them the same size as the peas so it's uniform). Place in a medium/large pot with a pad of butter and sauté until the carrots are tender and the onions are transluscent (about 10 minutes).

Add the half-cooked peas and pour in enough water to cover the peas, carrots and onions plus 2 inches. Add diced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Brings to a boil and reduce, simmering for 30 minutes or until the peas are fork-soft.

CORNBREAD

I won't pretend to be the authority on cornbread. So if your Momma and/or Granny don't have a recipe for you, ask Miss. Paula Dean.

GREENS

This can be turnip greens, collard greens, kale, spinach... you see where this is going. Anything green (it signifies money, so don't skip them). I really like turnip greens and grow them in my (squirrel infested) garden, so clean 'em, rough chop them, put them in a pan with some butter and sweat them out. Greens do not take long, so you can make these last.

Hot sauce, vinegar and chowchow (relish) are favorites in our house for the perfect topping to this delicious, simple and quite frankly, important first meal of the year. If your resolutions were to lose some holiday weight, don't punish the cornbread by not slathering it with butter... it's just not fair. It's actually pretty rude.

Now for 2016... I will be potty-training a toddler, releasing a follow-up novel (Southernmost), resisting the urge to wear spandex on the daily (not really. I just want to sound like I'm kind of trying in the fashion department) and spending some time in Ireland.

Wishing you all luck, fortune, love and blessings!

-sarah