Black-eyed Peas

Mmmm black-eyed peas. So simple. So tasty. A great meal can be made solely with black-eyed peas and rice. Aaah, heaven. It's what I had for lunch today. I always make these from dry beans; canned ones seem icky to me. It's really simple to prepare any dry bean, but it does require some time... but not active time. Just letting the beans boil or simmer for a long time, adding water when necessary. So little effort, so delicious.


Black-eyed Peas

• 1 lb dry beans
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt
• bacon or ham, optional
  

First, sort through the beans, pulling out any rocks, dirt clods, or bad beans. Wash the beans by placing them in a bowl, running water over it, and swishing them around. Pour out the water. Fill the bowl again, making sure the beans are covered completely, and let soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, swish the water around again, then pour it out.

Transfer the beans to a big pot and fill it with water. Throw in the onion and garlic (and if you'd like, the bacon or ham) and bring to a boil. Depending on the time you have, you can boil them the entire time, or reduce the heat to a simmer and let them cook for much, much longer.

I let the beans boil most of the time, and it took probably 30-45 minutes. You need to be very careful about making sure there is always enough water in the pot to more than cover the beans.

During the cooking process, season to taste, checking every so often.

Serve once the beans are soft and delicious.