The South Starts the New Year at the Table - Black-eyed peas, Collards and Cornbread

Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and the Wisdom of a New Year

Why the South Starts the Year at the Table

By Chef Charles Knight

When my wife LeAnn—born and raised in Tampa—told me that on our first New Year’s together we have to eat black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread for good luck, I did what any self-respecting guy from New Jersey would do.

“I’m not gonna eat that.”

First of all, a pea with a black eye sounds like it lost a fight.

Second… what exactly is a collard green, it sounds like something you soak an engine part in?

And third… since when does luck come from peas? I make my own luck.

I’m from New Jersey. Our New Year traditions leaned more toward noise, champagne, celebration, and a 2 a.m. burger and fries with brown gravy at the Laura Lynn diner. No superstition about it.

So naturally, I assumed this Southern ritual was just symbolism on a plate.

Turns out… it is.

But she’s always been a lot smarter and more persuasive than me. Somehow, I always end up thinking that whatever she wants – must have been my great idea. So here it is...

A Southern Meal with a Long Memory

Black-eyed peas have deep roots in the South. They came over from West Africa and were grown because they could survive when other crops failed. During wars, lean harvests, and hard economic times, these peas kept people alive.

And that matters—because Southerners have a long memory.

They don’t forget what carried them through tough seasons, or the Civil War.

So, on January 1st, they sit down and eat the very foods that once sustained them—as a way of saying, “We remember.”

That’s not luck.

That’s perspective.

What’s Really Going on with the Plate

This New Year’s meal isn’t random. Every item has a meaning:

•            Black-eyed peas represent coins—a hope for provision
•            Collard greens represent paper money (they fold like bills… apparently)
•            Cornbread, golden and warm, represents wealth and abundance
•            Pork, when included, symbolizes moving forward—because pigs don’t back up

Put it all together and the message is refreshingly practical:

•           May we move forward.
•            May we be provided for.
•            May we have enough.
•            No overnight miracles. Just enough—and progress.
•            Very Southern.
•            Very sensible.

Luck… or Gratitude in Disguise? They call it “good luck,” but that’s not quite right.

This tradition is really about gratitude and humility—starting the year acknowledging that provision doesn’t come from luck, but from God, hard work, and remembering where you came from.

In other words:

Before you ask for more, thank God for what He has already provided.

When New Jersey Marries Tampa:

Marriage teaches you quickly that traditions aren’t optional, they’re inherited.

And when your wife hands you a bowl of black-eyed peas on January 1st, you eat them.

Because what she’s really saying isn’t, “This brings luck.”

She’s saying, “This is how my family begins the year.”

And now… it’s how we begin it too.

I still miss the diner fries with brown gravy, and...

I still don’t fully trust Black-eye Peas.

But I’ve come to appreciate the wisdom of starting the year not with noise—but with meaning.

A Better Way to Start the Year

In a world obsessed with predictions, resolutions, and chaos, there’s something grounding about a simple meal that quietly says:

• ·       We’re grateful.
• ·       We’re moving forward.
• ·       We’ll take care of each other.

And if the South is right—and the year turns out a little better because of it—

Well, even a guy from New Joisey knows when not to argue with success, or LeAnn.

 

Here’s a classic Southern New Year’s–style meal—simple, soulful, and built to be cooked low-and-slow (perfect for waterless / greaseless stainless cooking too).

Southern Black-Eyed Peas with Pork

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried black-eyed peas (or 2 lb fresh/frozen)
• 1 smoked ham hock or pork shank or thick slab bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• ½–1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt (to taste, added at end)
• Water or low-sodium chicken broth (just to cover)

Instructions

1. Soak peas overnight (optional but recommended). Drain and rinse.
2. In a heavy pot, add peas, pork, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and seasonings.
3. Add just enough liquid to barely cover ingredients.
4. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 1½–2 hours until peas are tender and pork is falling apart.
5. Remove pork, shred meat, discard bone/fat, return meat to pot.
6. Adjust salt at the end. Remove bay leaf.
7. Serve with some of the pot liquor—don’t waste the good luck.

Slow-Simmered Collard Greens with Pork

Ingredients

• 2 large bunches collard greens
• 1 smoked ham hock or smoked turkey leg or bacon ends
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sugar (traditional)
• 1–2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Black pepper
• Water or broth (½–1 cup)

Instructions

1. Wash collards thoroughly (sand hides in the leaves). Remove thick stems, chop leaves.
2. In a large pot, place pork, onion, garlic, and liquid.
3. Bring to a simmer; add collards in batches (they cook down).
4. Cover and simmer on low for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Add vinegar and sugar during the last 20 minutes.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Tip: Greens should be tender, silky, and savory—not bitter.

Classic Southern Skillet Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup of yellow cornmeal
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup oil or bacon drippings

(Optional: add 1–2 tbsp sugar if you lean sweet)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Heat skillet with oil/drippings until hot.
3. Mix dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and egg; stir just until combined.
4. Pour batter into hot skillet (it should sizzle).
5. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
6. Rest 5 minutes before slicing.

How to Serve (Tradition Matters)

• Black-eyed peas = prosperity
• Collard greens = wealth
• Pork = progress
• Cornbread = gold

Serve with:

• Pepper vinegar on the table
• Hot sauce optional
• Sweet iced tea or coffee on the side