The Soultown! Volume IV: Issue 1 JANUARY 2020 | Page 14
Meme's Recipes
H appy New Year! Everyone knows that
adding a bowl of Black-Eyed Peas to your meal
brings good luck for the new year. It’s a tradition
in African American families that has remained
throughout many centuries. Black-Eyed Peas and
other soul food dishes are intended to feed the souls
of Black folks. It is one of very few traditions Black
folks have that connects us to our ancestors. For
some of you youngsters that spend some time in
the kitchen and need a recipe, Meme’s Recipes are
here for you.
Note: This recipe is the non-pork option. Feel
free to replace the turkey option with a ham bone -
if you choose. (It is believed that ham hocks add a
nice, smokey, rustic flavor, but you decide.)
Ingredients
1 pound dry black-eyed peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (32 ounces) cartons or cans chicken broth
8 cups of water
Turkey necks or 1 pound smoked ham hocks
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of sugar
1. Get dry Black-eyed peas 24 hours before
cooking. Place the black-eyed peas into a large
container and cover with several inches of cool
water; let stand 8 hours to overnight, then remove
the broken peas. Drain and rinse before using.
2. Rinse the water off the black-eyed peas to
remove the grit and dirt and add them to the pot of
smoked turkey wings. Smoked turkey wings can
be used as a base to add more flavor to be started
before you add the peas. (Non-pork option)
3. In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook
and stir onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is well
M
em
e’s Re cip
e
Mouthwatering
Black-Eyed Peas
done.
4. Pour in chicken broth and 8 cups water,
bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir
in soaked black-eyed peas, ham hocks, tomatoes,
pepperoncini, bay leaf, garlic powder, thyme, and
salt and pepper. Add just a teaspoon of sugar, cover
and simmer until peas are tender and the broth is
thickened about 3-4 hours.
5. Be sure to stir from time to time to prevent
them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
6. You will know they are done when you taste
them and the shell is very soft.
Enjoy with cornbread or even hot water
cornbread with raw green onion and hot sauce. Say
your blessings and eat to your heart’s content!
If you’d like to share one of your grandparent’s
recipes, please send photo of her and meal to
[email protected].
On behalf of The Soultown Magazine, we
would like to thank Meme for her soulful Black-
Eyed Peas recipe and for having SOUL! ,
Courtesy Photo
14
Jan. 2020 • Immortalizing Our Stories to Implore Positive Progress In Our Communities • thesoultown.com