start the year out right

START THE YEAR OUT RIGHT

the southern tradition to eat black eyed peas for new years eve
seems to have a lot of explanations of how it all got started

one was it is a 1500 year old traditon
another
says its because when sherman marched through the south
he destroyed everything in his path
but
he left the black eyed peas alone
thinking it was for the animals to eat
the remaining southerners ate the peas to survive

there were other explanations
like the peas swell up so they represent an increase in wealth
and well being for the year

my thoughts
all i know is its good luck to eat black eyed peas for new years day
why
i dont know
i dont care
i just do it religiously each year

now sometimes
we meaning i have a love hate relationship with those peas
many a year i have bought the stuff at the grocery store
right before new years
thrown it in to my crock pot
they never ever really cooked right to fit my our taste
they were more like crunchy peas
so
the last several years
i grew my own
specifically for new years day

now
when i planted my peas i used purple hull peas
yes their hulls are purple
the word in the south is that these peas bring good luck also

these peas were planted in our garden after we harvested our winter
and spring stuff
they the peas
fix nitrogen in the soil
shade the soil
provided green cuttings for the chickens when we cut them down
leaving the roots in the soil to provide minerals etc for the soil

so the peas
nourished our chickens
nourished the garden soil
nourished the gardener
thats me

we simply shelled the peas
yes i was left with a purple thumb
my wife she doesnt have the shelling down like i do
since i have had years of experience
having been taught how to shell them by my mom and grandmother
and sisters

they were washed
placed in the freezer
awaiting new years day
into the crockpot they would go
we cook ours vegetarian style with veggie broth garlic onions peppers
canned tomatoes salt pepper multi spice mix cumin olive oil butter

so our last few years we have had a good pea meal on new years
making for good years since then

this year
we didnt get to harvest our peas before we moved
so we ie my wife she bought this package of frozen peas
into the crock pot they went with all the goodies
after a couple of hours
they were still hard
on no
i said
not again
we have to have peas
maybe lets go get some canned ones

then
my wife she sent me this smart a$$ text
you failed your reading test

so i said
smart a$$ under my breath

i came home
ok i read the directions
i followed the directions
boiled them good
then
chunked them back into the crock pot
where all the flavors were
cooked them starting where i left off

my wife she made some iron skillet cornbread like mom used to make
butter was added

the peas
quite a lot of them
was consumed by me last night
hoping
that our year will now be a good one

the organicgreen doctor