By Ann Cipperly
New Year’s Day in the South has been celebrated for decades with traditional foods with meanings of good luck and prosperity for the upcoming year. Collards, turnips, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, pork and cornbread are served in a variety of ways with family recipes passed down for generations. While it is considered important to eat some foods, others are considered unlucky on the first day of the year.
Vondalyn Hall, a retired instructor in the Department of Consumer Affairs at Auburn University, grew up in a family that served traditional Southern foods on New Year’s Day, and she has continued the tradition with her family.
When Vondalyn was very young, her family raised hogs on their North Alabama farm. If fresh meat was available, they usually had a pork loin, pork chops or boiled ham on New Year’s Day.
Hog jowl as well as salt cured country hams came from their own smokehouse. The dried black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, turnip greens and the cornmeal (made from grinding corn) for the cornbread were all products of their own labor on a self-sufficient farm.
“The significance of the ‘must have’ New Year’s meal cannot be underestimated for the traditionalist,” said Vondalyn. “Pork is an important reminder to look to the future and not the past as we move into the new year. This is based on the fact that hogs root forward not backward. Also, hogs cannot turn their heads without turning all the way around heading in the opposite direction.
“Turnip greens or collards represented green back dollars hoped for in the new year. Both sweet potatoes and cornbread symbolized gold because of their color.”
Before Vondalyn and her husband Bob met, he was in the Army stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He was given a choice of a leave at Christmas or New Year’s. “He chose New Year’s because he wanted to eat the traditional New Year’s meal with his family,” says Vondalyn.
“Bob’s mom, who grew up in an old South family in North Carolina and Virginia, believed that what you ate on New Year’s Day was relevant to the success you had throughout the year. She credited this belief not only to her Southern roots, but to the superstitions of her Irish ancestors.
“Black-eyed peas, originally considered fit for only animals, represent coins,” added Vondalyn. “After the Civil War when many families found themselves quite poor, peas were turned to as a means of sustenance, gaining value, being referred to as tiny coins.”
The custom of eating black-eyed peas for good luck is traced back to a Civil War legend. Vicksburg, Miss., ran out of food while under attack. The residents discovered black-eyed peas left behind by the Yankees, who thought they were animal feed. Afterwards, black-eyed peas were considered lucky.
Connie Montgomery has served traditional Southern favorites on New Year’s Day for many years, including collards and black-eyed peas. She prepares stewed tomatoes that are similar to a relish to serve with the black-eyed peas. When tomatoes are stewed, they symbolize wealth and health.
Connie’s grandmother was her inspiration for cooking Southern foods. “When we visited our grandparents’ home,” she recalls, “my grandmother was always up early every morning getting our breakfast ready. She had a large kitchen and always wore her apron until the meals were cooked.
“She let me stir the batter for her cakes or pancakes, and during the holidays she sometimes had eight grandchildren to feed as well as several grown children. Everyone was welcome in their home, and she somehow could turn a dinner for six into a dinner for 12.”
Connie would often gather eggs from the hen house down the hill from her grandparents’ house to use in baking cakes and pies. When the family gathered at their house during the holidays, her grandmother had no less than four cakes on the top of her china cabinet. Holidays were special times, and traditional dishes were always served on New Year’s.
On New Year’s Day Jim Ryan makes his special combination of collards and turnip greens that he serves with black-eyed peas and pork tenderloin. His mother taught him how to cook. Jim and his wife, Janice, both enjoy cooking and will cook together.
When selecting greens, Southern favorites include collards, mustard greens or turnips. Vondalyn Hall, Connie Montgomery and Jim Ryan each provide how they wash and cut greens with their recipes. The greens need to be well washed, and the stems removed and cut into easy to eat slices.
Local fresh frozen black-eyed peas can be found at year-round farmers markets, and good brands are available at grocery stores. If you are using dried black-eyed peas, soak them in water overnight. The next morning, drain and rinse the peas. Place them in a large pot and cover with water or chicken stock. Simmer for about an hour.
Black-eyed peas are versatile and can be used in soups, salads, dips and mashed for hummus. Black-eyed peas are also used for making Hoppin’ John, which is believed by some to have originated on rice plantations along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. The name is linked to a handicapped man who cooked and sold the dish in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1841, while the first recipe for Hoppin’ John was found in an 1847 book called “The Carolina Housewife.”
While most people are focused on the good luck foods on New Year’s Day, others won’t eat certain dishes, such as lobster, which they believe can cause bad luck since lobsters can swim backwards. Going back could mean “setbacks” during the year. Other meats some avoid include chicken since they scratch backwards.
According to Southern traditions, the following recipes are ones assuring good luck and wealth in the coming year. Select from the tried-and-true favorites for creating a good luck menu from East Alabama cooks.
Turnip Greens with Ham Hocks
Vondalyn Hall
Washing turnip greens is the most important step in preparing fresh greens. This is a time-consuming process but well worth the time involved. Because turnip greens grow so close to the ground, they are usually covered in dirt and grime.
First, soak the greens in salted water, then rinse them 4 or 5 times. You will want to repeat this process until greens appear perfectly clean and no grains of sand remain.
2 lbs. ham hocks, rinsed
2 quarts water
2 large bunches fresh turnip greens
2 Tbsp. sugar
Salt to taste
Place ham hocks in a large pot along with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender. Remove ham from stock and set aside.
While ham is cooking, remove the stems off the turnip greens through the middle of the leaves, along with any discolored leaves. Wash according to the directions given above. Drain. Chop the greens.
Add turnip greens to ham stock along with sugar.
Bring the stock to boiling again and turn heat to low. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until greens are tender.
Chop the meat from the ham hocks that you have set aside and add as much ham as you want back to the greens. Add salt, if needed.
Serve the turnips with cornbread.
Collard Greens For New Year’s Day
Connie Montgomery
I have served these for years, and everyone loves them. I think the secret is in long, slow cooking. You won’t need any pepper sauce. Can prepare in a stock pot or crock-pot.
The bagged greens are pre-washed, but when using fresh bunches, be sure to wash the leaves carefully. I always fold the leaves together, cut out the stem, and then soak for 10 minutes in salted water, swishing them around to remove any sand and dirt from the leaves. Then cut them into wide slices, which makes them easier to serve, and they’re also tenderer without the stems.
2 large bags collard greens (* I use 2 large bunches and cut the stems out)
2 cans chicken broth
1 green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 pieces smoked turkey (one large drumstick or 2 wings)
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients and cook until they’re done. In a crock-pot you can cook them for several hours. When done, remove from the heat and bone the meat, discarding the bones, onion, garlic and peppers, if desired. The red pepper looks pretty in the presentation.
Black-eyed Peas with Stewed Tomatoes
Connie Montgomery
The stewed tomatoes just add a little bit of tartness and sweetness that goes well with the peas. It’s also good luck too!
2 bags of frozen black-eyed peas (You can use dried or canned, but I think frozen are best. The dried peas take a long time, and the canned are sometimes a bit mushy, but use whatever you like.)
3 cups water for frozen peas. (Follow direction on the pkg. for dried peas, and canned peas just need to be heated on the stove or in the microwave.)
For 2 bags frozen black-eyed peas:
3 cups water
1/2 – 3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
2 strips bacon or a ham hock
1/2 tsp. pepper
Using a large-sized boiler, bring water to a boil, adding salt, bacon or ham hocks and pepper. Add peas, return to a boil and turn heat to medium; cover and cook 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking process. Check for doneness and saltiness. Add more salt by pinches if necessary. Stir and check until it is to your taste.
You can easily refrigerate for a couple of days and re-heat. You can remove bacon or ham before serving, but somebody might like to eat them. Serves 10 – 12.
Stewed Tomatoes
This is used as a relish on top of the black-eyed peas, not as an extra vegetable.
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
4 Tbsp. olive, canola or vegetable oil
Two # 2 cans tomatoes, mashed
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
4 pieces toasted bread, crumbled, or 1 cup breadcrumbs
Sauté diced onions and green pepper in oil, watching and stirring to avoid burning. Drain; set aside.
Mash tomatoes or process quickly. You don’t want them too mushy. Mix onions and peppers with remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs. Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning.
Turn off heat and add breadcrumbs. Let stand for 30 minutes to allow bread to soak up liquid in tomatoes.
You can double and freeze leftovers. Makes 10 servings.
Jim’s Special Collards and Turnips
Jim Ryan
One of the Ryan’ family’s favorite recipes is Jim’s combination of collards and turnips for a special “greens” dish on New Year’s Day. He serves it with cornbread, black-eyed peas and pork tenderloin.
2 bundles collard greens (prepared by directions to yield 16+ cups)
3 large bundles turnips, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, diced (red jalapenos add color, if available)
8 oz. hickory or applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. unsalted chicken stock
1 Tbsp. favorite hot sauce
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. kosher sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preparing collards:
Cut off collard green leaves from the stem. To prepare collard greens, take each collard green leaf and run a chef’s knife down each side of the center vein to remove it from the leaf. Discard collard leaf veins.
Rinse all collard leaves after removing leaf veins and dry with paper towels. On a large cutting board, stack two or three collard leaves, roll up tightly, and thinly slice all the rolled leaves about 1/8 inch thick. Run your chef’s knife through the thinly sliced stack after to shorten the pieces. Repeat this process until all the collard green leaves are cut into thin slices.
Cooking:
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven on the stove top. Add bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
Add chopped onions, turnips and peppers to heated oil/bacon grease mixture and sauté until onions are clear. Add garlic to mixture and sauté for about a minute.
Begin adding all the sliced collard green leaves to the pot, being sure to stir the onion-pepper-turnip mixture throughout the sliced collard greens. As the heat wilts collard greens, you can add the remainder of sliced greens. Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, hot sauce and apple cider vinegar to wilted greens, continuing to stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Add back bacon and enough chicken stock to cover greens. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn heat down to low, and cook until greens are tender (about 35 to 40 minutes). Stir occasionally and add chicken stock as needed to keep greens in liquid. Salt and pepper to taste.
Zazu’s Collards
Chef Graham Hage
1 bunch collard greens, center vein removed and roughly chopped
Chicken stock
Bacon ends or bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Hot sauce (your favorite brand)
Salt and pepper
Put bacon into large pot and render fat until crispy. Add onion and garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
Add collards and cook 1 minute, stirring to push greens down.
Add chicken stock to cover and boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add vinegar and a little hot sauce. Add more stock, if needed. Cook 10 to 15 minutes.
Taste and add salt and pepper. Add more hot sauce, if desired.
Serve with warm Buttermilk Cornbread.
Zazu’s Buttermilk Cornbread
Chef Graham Hage
1 cup whole buttermilk
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper
¼ cup oil or butter for skillet
Heat a cast iron skillet in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.
Combine all wet ingredients a mixing bowl and whisk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gently stir.
Pull hot skillet from oven and add ¼ cup oil or butter, swirling to coat pan.
Pour cornbread batter into skillet and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Cook Fresh Collards and Turnips in a Pressure Cooker
Jane Worthening
Jane grew up in Pepperell Village and later wrote the history of the village, including many of her beloved memories in the close-knit village. Both of her grandmothers and mother had a love of cooking good southern foods.
My favorite way to cook fresh vegetables year-round is in my pressure cooker. I buy fresh collards, turnip greens and turnips at the farmer’s market. Washing and cleaning part is the hardest and most time consuming. I cut the stems off and chopped the greens before cooking.
I use a 6-quart cooker. Pressure cooking greens will ensure that they are good and tender and are not ‘cooked to death’. I will add a small ham hock, salt to taste, about 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar and about 1/4 cup of sugar.
When the pressure is up, I will cook them for about 15 minutes on a medium to low temperature on the stovetop. You have to know how to operate the pressure cooker before using one.
When they are cooked and cooled to my specifications, I divide them into freezer bags to freeze for use throughout the winter. I do the same thing in the summer with peas and beans to put in my freezer.
Trudy’s Hopping John
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained
3 slices bacon
1 hot pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
½ cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup uncooked rice
3 green onions, chopped
3 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
Place peas, bacon, hot pepper, onion, celery, salt and pepper in a large pot; cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until peas are tender, about 1½ to 2 hours, adding water if needed.
Drain peas, reserving liquid. Discard bacon. Cook rice in reserved liquid (3 cups) until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Combine peas and rice; top with green onions and crumbled bacon. Serves 5 to 8.
Grandmother’s Sweet Potato Pie
Beverly Corley
4-6 sweet potatoes
1 stick butter, softened at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
12 oz. can evaporated milk
Dash of salt
½ tsp. nutmeg, optional
3 pie shells
Preheat oven to 425. . Wrap potatoes in aluminum foil and bake until soft; remove peel and place potatoes in a mixing bowl. Beat until creamy; should yield about 3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups potatoes.
Add sugar and butter; mix well. Add eggs, salt and evaporated milk. If you are using nutmeg, add now. Divide mixture among the three shells. Place the shells on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes then lower temperature to 325. Bake 30-45 minutes longer until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
New Year’s Day Soup
Vondalyn Hall
This is a perfect soup for New Year’s Day or an ideal way to use leftovers the next day.
2 cups chipped barbecue pork or 2 cups diced ham
16-oz. pkg. frozen creamed sweet corn
2 cups turnip greens, cooked and seasoned
2 cups black-eyed peas, cooked
1 medium purple onion, chopped
1 large can (27 oz.) diced petite tomatoes with juice
¼-½ cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
4 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a large soup pot. Start cooking on high. Stir frequently. When mixture starts to boil, turn down to low and simmer l to l ½ hours until flavors are well blended. Stir occasionally as soup simmers.
Serve hot soup with cornbread.
This recipe can be doubled if you are serving a crowd.
