Fly fishers (and other good folks) around the world enjoy a host of widely varied New Year’s Day food traditions, everything from quickly eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spain to rice pudding in Scandinavia to lentils in Italy to roast suckling pig in Cuba (and a lot of other places as well).
With roots grounded in the American South, we’re of course partial to several regional traditions, including the reverent consumption of some form of pork (the pig’s habit of rooting forward is said to propel one to success in the New Year – we’re still enjoying this ham from last week), cornbread, cabbage and collard greens.
But no New Year’s Day celebration is complete without a serving of black eyed peas in one form or another.
We’re still partial to Reggie’s Hoppin’ John recipe (recipe includes a bit more explanation of the history behind most Southerners’ view of black eyed peas), though I have to admit after tasting today’s recipe for Texas Caviar at a gathering last night, this long-standing Texas standard is worth consideration today and any other time you need a dish/dip/salad with a different twist.
Growing up a friends mother made Texas Caviar in outrageous volumes using a recipe her mother had submitted to Southern Living decades prior; we ate it in proportions only bottomless-pit teenagers could contemplate, piled artfully on tortilla chips and fritos, and fought after the last few cowpeas in the bowl.
Seems like everybody’s mom or grandmother in Texas has their own favorite version of this recipe – I plied this out of the hostess last night as her version was particularly tasty.
Never let a New Year go to waste – get those black eyed peas on the stove this morning.
4 cups cooked black eyed peas (or 2 16-oz cans drained and rinsed)
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced small
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
Small red onion, diced
1/2 bunch green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems only, chopped
2-4 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, diced small
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of one lime
1/3 cup olive oil
Splash of red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt to taste
Stir everything together, adjust for how moist you prefer with olive oil and vinegar/lime juice and for salt & pepper.
Best if you make a few hours ahead and let it sit to develop the flavors a bit.
Enjoy.
