Sandi is blogging from the WhistleStop Cafe kitchen. It's all about good home cooking; food, family and fun. Thousands of posts . . .

~In the south and around the world.



Sunday, December 31, 2006

For Money...

We have eaten greens for new years day for years... I am beginning to question the fact that they will bring money. My understanding is that it has been proven by Southerners all over the world. The black-eyed peas are for luck and the greens are for money. Turnip greens, collard greens, or cabbage will do. We prefer turnip greens!
Fresh greens are without a doubt the hardest thing to clean, bits of sand and dirt will cling to the leaves and add a little surprise crunch when they are eaten. One old nurse I worked with said she would wash her greens in the dishwasher- now, I've never tried it, and I'm not sure I would recommend that you do either. Frozen turnips and collards are available, but I love the flavor of fresh turnips.
Southern Turnip Greens
2 pounds fresh leafy greens
1 turnip cut into small chunks
2 oz salt pork (a chunk of ham works too)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Clean the greens well, by dunking into a sink of water... drain, rinse, and do it again until the grit is gone. Break of the thick stem end, chop the leaves in half. Using a large boiler, bring water, pork, salt & sugar to a boil. Pack the greens in and cover. Reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours until tender. If using fresh turnip root, add the last hour of cooking.

Most people will eat their greens with a little hot sauce, or pepper vinegar for an extra kick. Cornbread is a must...the final in a New Year's trilogy!
Now you have all the necessities for a healthy and prosperous new year! We hope that you spend the day watching some good football, eating a mess of greens and peas, enjoying friends and family, and putting some thought into those new year resolutions.
Happy New Year Y'all!
Sandi

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello, Bill & Sandi!

May the coming year be filled with unexpected discoveries, great times and good health.

Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

I was hoping the black eyed peas would bring good luck and that would bring money too. But, OK greens are excellent!
Happy New Year...

Anonymous said...

Nicole and Joshua best wishes to you as well, I hope you had some peas & greens today.
Tanna you are so right! I guess luck is not the same as fortune.

Related Posts with Thumbnails