And I believe that part of the flavor came from gratitude; I finished cooking this pot of beans on January 1, 2024, just before our Ishikawa Prefecture earthquake hit at 16:16. We survived and so did our black-eyed peas. (Normally I would serve these with cornbread, but after evacuating from the house and coming back later in the evening, I shakily defrosted some frozen rice instead.)
You'll need:
- Bacon fat
- Chopped bacon
- Onion
- Garlic
- Komatsuna greens (mustard greens)
- Salt and pepper
- Green beans
- Veggie bouillon
- Tomato paste
- Bay leaf
- Dried thyme
- Dried parsley
- 500 g dried black-eyed peas
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
Do this:
In a stock pot, saute onions, garlic, bay leaf, and komatsuna greens in a big wad of bacon fat. Add in the chopped bacon and cook through, then some chopped green beans. Next, add the black-eyed peas that you have soaked overnight in the fridge and then drained. Cover all of it with water and throw in your seasonings and tomato paste. Simmer until the beans are soft and a lot of the liquid has evaporated.
The only measured ingredient was those black-eyed peas. All the rest was conjured with love.
Add in or detract as you desire. You know what your family likes.
Everyone in mine said this was the best version yet.
