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Recipe: Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John is one of the traditional dishes eaten on New Year's Day in the South. You'll want to have seconds: the story is that the more black-eyed peas and greens you eat on New Year's, the more money you'll have in the coming year. It's supposed to bring good luck as well. I love it all winter long. Serve with collards or another green (to bring you folding money) and cornbread. Leftovers freeze beautifully.

Active time: 20 minutes. Total time: 1 hour, starting with dried black-eyed peas. Makes 8 servings, a generous 1 cup each.

Ingredients

2 cups black-eyed peas, dried (4 cups cooked)
2 cups rice (4 cups cooked)
1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounces, about 2 cups)
1 1/3 cup green onions, both green and white parts chopped
1 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Method

1. Pick over, rinse, and cook the black-eyed peas (see Basic Beans recipe). Black-eyed peas cook much more quickly than other peas or beans, so start testing after about 45 minutes.

2. About 20 minutes before the black-eyed peas are done, cook the rice. Open and drain the diced tomatoes, saving the juice for another recipe. Clean and chop green onions crossways to make circles, throwing away the root end and any dried out or limp parts.

3. When the black-eyed peas are tender, drain them, saving the broth for another recipe. Combine black-eyed peas, rice, tomatoes, and all but a handful of green onions. Toss gently and heat until warm, either on the stove or in a warm oven (200 degrees).

4. Just before serving, top with grated cheese and remaining green onions. Pass the hot sauce. Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers.

Tips and notes

• This recipe was inspired by one in Southern Cooking by Bill Neal. I use more onions and canned, diced tomatoes. In the winter, canned tomatoes have more taste than fresh ones.