Homemade Black Eyed Sea Island Red Peas
There is something to be said for simple, whole food.
Can I just say that until recently, I drastically underestimated the impact of homemade peas and beans. I was a canned girl all the way… until my CSA offered fresh, dried Crowder Peas and Black Beans as part of the winter delivery (THANK YOU @farmerchefcasey and Potomac Vegetable Farms). If you’re going to eat peas or beans, especially on their own as a side, there is a HUGE taste difference between homemade and canned. So cook up my skillet cornbread and give these peas a try. They pair well with butter cabbage, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or collard greens.
Technically, these are Anson Mills’ Sea Island Red Peas. You can order them from Anson Mills directly and they will ship to you in a few days. If you haven’t tried Anson Mills’ rice or these red peas, they come highly recommended. By me. Who ought to know. This has to be at least my hundredth batch.
“Spring time in Florida is not a matter of peeping violets or bursting buds merely. It is a riot of color, in nature–glistening green leaves, pink, blue, purple, yellow blossoms that fairly stagger the visitor from the north…The nights are white nights as the moon shines with dazzling splendor, or in the absence of that goddess, the soft darkness creeps down laden with innumerable scents. The heavy fragrance of magnolias mingled with the delicate sweetness of jasmine and wild roses.”
– Zora Neale Hurston –
what you need
4 cups dried black eyed peas or crowder peas, soaked in water overnight and rinsed clean
4 slices bacon, diced (skip this if you’re after the vegetarian version)
1 cup swiss chard de-stalked and cut into thick ribbons
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (skip if you do not want your peas or beans spicy)
5 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons thyme
1 hot pepper or jalapeño, thinly diced
how to make it
Soak the peas or beans in water for at least three hours, ideally overnight.
In Dutch oven or large pot stovetop, cook the bacon until dark brown and almost crispy over Medium-High heat. Add the garlic, hot pepper, onion, and crushed red pepper, and cook ~1 minute more, stirring so the garlic does not burn.
Sprinkle mixture with thyme and add the drained peas, the water, and the broth to the pot, stirring everything together and scraping any bits up off the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low simmer, cover, place lid on pot and cook for 1-2 hours, or until beans are tender.
Note: This will take different amounts of time depending on the pea, the bean, and how long it was soaked. Mine usually take 1 1/2-2 hours total, but sometimes I let them simmer and sit for as long as 4 if I’ve got the time. You could probably whip them into shape in 50 minutes if you crank up the heat but the point is to let them boil down.
About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, stir in the swiss chard and continue to cook.
Top with Greek yogurt sprinkled with a dash of cumin and thyme, a crispy veggie, and a side of cornbread.
Most people will think of this as a side dish, mostly because there is no meat.
But. This. Is. A. Whole. Meal.
As pictured above, you’re looking at 800 or so calories, 10g of fiber, and 60-70g of protein, give or take. This is all the fuel you need for one meal.