Purple Hull Peas

While my sister was vacationing in Texas I was at Ollie's when I found The Contemporary Cowboy Cookbook. It seemed perfect, I might not be be out west but I could bring the west to me! The first recipe I tried was for purple hull peas. I don't really like beans unless they are green or baked but these weren't too bad, bacon makes everything better. To my serving after it was plated, I added a tiny speck of molasses which cut the beany taste.

 Black-Eyed Peas

1  16 oz. pkg frozen black-eyed peas with snaps or purple hulls or 1 pint fresh peas
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine peas, onions, stock, and bacon in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover saucepan and cook until peas are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Make sure the liquid doesn't cook away. They should be almost covered with liquid. When peas are tender add salt and pepper.

To use dried beans: Soak 2 cups peas in water overnight, drain, and proceed as above using 4 cups of stock or water. Do not add salt until tender. Increase cooking time to 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Don't let liquid cook out.

Makes 8 servings

From The Contemporary Cowboy Cookbook by Dottie Griffith

Smothered Pork Chops, Turnip Greens and Cornbread

Tonight's dinner was way more trouble than it was worth, especially the turnip greens. My father had planted some turnip greens which needed to be harvested, so I went out and picked them and pulled the tough stems off and washed them several times to get all the dirt and bugs off. I cooked them using this recipe, no one really like it, not that it was bad, but I think we all prefer canned.

.


I found the recipe for the pork chops over at The Given's Chronicles. They were kind of tough and I didn't think they had a lot of flavor and I wouldn't make them again.

The cornbread was an old recipe I've made numerous times before. I found it in a Taste of Home magazine. The only problem I've ever had with it is that the top never browns, but nothing does in our oven. BTW, it's a sweeter cornbread so if that's not what you like you might want to look for something else.

Corn Bread Squares

1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. yellow corn meal
1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, milk and oil. Beat just until moistened. Spoon in a greased 8" square pan. (I've also used a cast iron skillet) Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.