Almost every year, I bake a ham for Christmas so that I can have the bone for New Year’s Day. Of course, this year I roasted a goose, so I had no ham bone. Luckily, my good friend Stevie Lewis saved me the bone from his family’s Christmas ham. From this bone, I make Hoppin John, an old Southern dish of black-eyed peas, ham, and rice. With it, I serve steamed Kale and cornbread.
There is quite a long tradition with this meal. The black-eyed peas are said to represent coins, the kale is green like money, and the cornbread is golden to represent gold. Eating this for New Year’s Day is supposed to bring good fortune for the New Year.
Well, it might not bring any more money into your purse, but it is very economical. It’s a break for all the heavy holiday foods. It’s also very good for you. Black-eyed peas are high in protein, iron, zinc, and potassium. Kale has anti-cancer properties. Cornbread, if you don’t put tons of butter on it, is also good for you.
