MY NEW YEAR’S BLACK-EYED PEAS!

I got a little fancy with my black-eyed peas today. I had the sprouted black-eyed peas, and I had a small red bell pepper, an onion, a jalapeno pepper, garlic, and I got a “salad mix” of mesclun, kale, collards, spinach, and chard, because the bunch of collards offered in the store was just too much.

I took a about three big handfuls of the salad mix and chopped them up to small pieces. Then I finely chopped 4 cloves of garlic. I chopped up one small yellow onion. I chopped the garlic as finely as I could. I chopped the red bell pepper and the jalapeno into small pieces.

I sprinkled some salt on the greens and mashed them around until they were wilted. I added the greens to the sprouted black-eyed peas, and I added in the minced garlic, jalapeno, and chopped onion. Then I added a capful of apple cider vinegar, and about 2 capfuls of extra virgin olive oil, and mixed it all up. Finally, I added a Cajun Spice mix (because I couldn’t find paprika, and this spice mix had paprika listed as the first ingredient, and had other spices I like.

I tossed everything thoroughly — and…… voila! the Cajun Spice Mix gave it all a “smokey” flavor, which worked for me. Yumm! Hopefully, as we always hope, this will bring good luck and prosperity, as it is supposed to do.

I gave half of what I’d made to a fellow who has helped me out a lot. He is from New York, and was unfamiliar with the custom of eating black-eyed peas and collards on New Year’s Day, but he did say that everything he’s ever eaten that I have cooked was really good. I explained about the custom, so, now that he knows about it, perhaps it will bring good luck and prosperity to him, too.

I have a little leftover, so I will probably eat that for lunch at work tomorrow.

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NEW YEAR’S DAY RECIPE – BLACK-EYED PEAS AND COLLARDS

It’s a little late this year to tell you what to eat so that you can get good luck, but I will tell you anyway. In the South, and, seemingly, in New York City, as well, black-eyed peas are an important good luck food to eat on New Year’s Day. How do I feel confident about this assessment? Number 1, I am from the South, and I just KNOW the first thing my Mom will ask me, when I call her to wish her a Happy New Year, will be “Have you eaten your black-eyed peas?” It won’t matter what time I call her.

When I was growing up, we knew that you eat black-eyed peas and collards on New Year’s Day for good fortune and prosperity, because black eyed peas mean good fortune (there’s a story behind that) and green is the color of money.

Most people go to the supermarket and buy a can of beans and cook up a “mess” of collards. (if you wait until New Year’s Eve to buy your canned black-eyed peas, you might be out of luck)

Being raw vegan might seem to to throw a wrench in the works, but… not to worry. If you buy organic dried black-eyed peas (or even just the regular dried black-eyed peas), and soak them overnight (like at least 8 hours), you will be well on your way to *sprouted* black-eyed peas, full of all sorts of nutrition, in addition to that good fortune.

Black-eyed peas take a bit of time to sprout. First, you soak them for @ 8 hours (overnight), rinse, drain, leave alone, then repeat again in the evening with “rinse, drain, repeat, until you see 1/4 inch sprouts, at which time you can choose to stop and eat, or to wait another day or so, and then stop and eat.

Once you have black-eyed pea sprouts that are at least 1/4-1/2 inch long, you can chow down.

My New Year’s black-eyed peas and collards dish goes like this:

1 cup black-eyed peas sprouted one to two days (until they have a 1/2 inch tail)

approximately 1 cup chopped collards, massaged with salt until they start to seem juicy

Mix the collards and black-eyed peas together.

Add in finely chopped red bell pepper, finely chopped onion, finely chopped jalapeno (if you desire), finely chopped garlic to taste, paprika (if you choose) , soaked sun-dried tomatoes or fresh chopped plum tomatoes, onion, if you choose.

Toss, eat, and feel virtuous.

Okay, what if you didn’t make the black-eyed pea sprouts?

Depending on how serious you are about keeping raw, (or if you still have a vegan bone) … you could cover your eyes and raid the local supermarket to find that last can of black-eyed peas. Then you follow the recipe above.

This year, I am going to put in chopped red bell pepper, minced garlic, minced onion, olive oil, (probably a dab of apple cider vinegar – no guarantees, – but, most often, apple cider vinegar takes a welcome part in whatever I am making — we’ll see!), and an organic Cajun spice blend of paprika, celery, garlic, red pepper, thyme, and oregano. I didn’t want to buy a huge bunch of collards, but I found a “mixed greens” package which includes spinach, kale, mustard greens, collards, chard, and beet greens, so I will chop them up in my new food processor, massage them with a little Himalayan sea salt and apple cider vinegar, and throw them in the mix.

9/23/10 CSA SHARE: What they said, what I got and what I took away

Today’s share was pretty nice, if you like lettuce-y kinds of vegetables.  I paid a few visits to the “Share Box”, which is where people put the things they don’t want, and take things they do want.  (In my experience, going early is good if you think you need to play with the share box, but going late can be just as useful, because more people may have tossed things you want.  “Playing” the share box is basically a crapshoot, but you get a wonderful zing when you do hit a good trade.

Today, I ended up trading my unwanted lettuce-y things for other people’s unwanted tomatoes.  I am still in dehydrate mode (see a tomato, dehydrate it!), but now I am sort of back to where I can eat fresh tomatoes sparingly (I had a wonderful tomato, onion, cucumber sandwich with fresh garlic oil last night)

WHAT WE GOT                   WHAT I TOOK
Lettuce mix……………………….4 tomatoes
Arugula………………………..4 tomatoes
Crinkled Crumpled Cress
Romaine Lettuce……………….1 bun. Collards
Kohlrabi 2 pcs…………………….I only got one
Plum
Collards, 1 bun.

I also got 3 huge peaches and 3 small apples

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS?
Tomatoes: I am going to dehdyrate most of them, but, since my mom says I should, I am going to food process some and freeze them for sauces. (Mom doesn’t realize, perhaps, that this might affect her Christmas present of a big jar full of “sundried tomatoes” — ha ha! Of course, it won’t! She’s my mom!)

Kohlrabi: I really love making ravioli with kohlrabi. I have this 4-inch wide slicer that slices kohlrabi very thin, and I can make nice ravioli with nut cheezes and/or other fillings.

Collards!: I will, of course, make some massaged, marinated greens, but I think I may try to make some collard wraps. (These are a challenge to me because I do not like to bite hard things, and I do not like to chew much, so I must figure out a way to make collards soft before I wrap things in them. I’m still working on it, so that will only be about 5 collard leaves worth of experiment. I know I like the massaged greens, anyway, and I haven’t made them in a couple of months)

Peaches: I will probably make some smoothies with whatever other fruit I have the freezer (I’m almost out of blueberries).

Apples: I will probably dehydrate the ones I don’t include in smoothies.  The dehydrated apples make nice snacks.

My New Year’s Plans

The black-eyed pea sprouts are in the refrigerator! I started them Saturday night, and they just grew like nobody’s business. I thought that I would have time to get them last night, but they had already gotten longer than the bean. (It seems to me I remember that they are supposed to taste better if they are only bean length) Whatever! Last night I scooped about a cup of them into a bowl, added about 1 t apple cider vinegar, 1 T extra virgin olive oil, 1 chopped up campari tomato, 2 T minced onion, and some of my dehydrated garlic powder, and left them to marinate (I wasn’t sure you can marinate sprouts, but I figured it was worth a try. I ate them about an hour later. Yum! Yes, marinating works on sprouts.

I also started some wheat sprouts for rejuvelac on Saturday night. Yesterday morning, I began to despair that the wheat would ever sprout, but this morning there were the littlest sprouts showing. When I got home, the sprouts were almost the length of the wheat berries – time to stop them and make the rejuvelac.

My plan for the New Year is to start a Master Cleanse on the night of January 1st – I have to eat my black eyed peas and collards on January First without fail, so I will start that night.
I don’t know what I will do with this rejuvelac I am making – I did not take that into account when I was doing my planning. Maybe I will drink some along with the Master Cleanse and see how that works. We’ll see. I do not know anyone who does rejuvelac, or I would give it to them.

Getting Ready for New Year’s

I went out today and go the supplies to make my little New Year’s celebration.  I’m planning to spend time alone on New Year’s Eve.  I don’t get a lot of quite time alone, but my room-mate is in Japan with her family, so I am going to luxuriate in the quiet.  I may even take a bubble bath…

Tonight, I have started some rejuvelac wine to celebrate.  I don’t know that I am going to make champagne rejuvelac this year. I’ll decide tomorrow when I start the rejuvelac.

I have also started soaking some black-eyed peas to sprout for my traditional good-luck black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.  I also have a small bunch of collards which I will prepare on New Year’s Eve and let marinate until New Year’s Day.

I’ve also laid in 10 nice big lemons, some sea salt, a jug of Grade B organic maple syrup, and some herbal laxative tea, so I can begin my Master Cleanse on New Year’s night — I think it is better to go ahead with my traditional New Year’s good luck meal, and then get started with the Master Cleanse.  (I have heard of a powder that you can use for the Master Cleanse, and, when I run out lemons, I may buy it and see how it works– that is still up in the air– I have enough lemons for most of the first 10 days.

NEW YEAR’s RECIPES (with raw food you need to plan ahead…)

Where I am from in the South, traditionally, we eat black-eyed peas, collards (or other greens, like kale), and pork, on New Year’s Day.
The collards are green, like money, and symbolize prosperity in the New Year. The black-eyed peas symbolize good luck, and the pork also symbolizes prosperity (because the pig is the only animal which eats while it is moving forward)

I don’t eat pork, duh, but I do keep up the tradition of greens and black-eyed peas.

BLACK-EYED PEAS
1 C dried organic black-eyed peas
1 – 2 T minced onion (to taste, optional)
1 – 2 T minced garlic (to taste, optional)
1 – 2 T extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
1 – 2 T apple cider vinegar (to taste)
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste (optional)

Sprout black-eyed peas for 3 – 4 days (soak for 12 hours,
drain, and sprout, rinsing twice daily for 2 – 3 – 1/2 more days)
Mix sprouted black-eyed peas with minced onion and a minced garlic to taste (optional).
Add olive oil and vinegar, and mix well.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can also find these COLLARDS RECIPES elsewhere within blog. They are re-listed here for your convenience.

MARINATED GREENS
MARINADE
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 C scallions, white parts only, finely only
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
2 t sea salt, divided
1/2 t black pepper
1 bunch collard greens (or other greens)
1/8 C olive oil

1 – Mix apple cider vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 t sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
1 – Roll up 2 – 3 leaves into a cylindrical “cigar” shape.
2 – With a sharp knife, thinly slice the rolled greens crosswise into ribbons.
3 – Cross-chop the “rounds”
4 – Place in a large bowl.
5 – Repeat steps 1 – 4 until all greens have been chopped.
6 – Add in olive oil, remaining 1 t salt, and marinade mixture.
7 -Massage all ingredients until mass is reduced by half.
8 -Refrigerate and marinate for 1 – 24 hours

MASSAGED MARINATED GREENS
this comes out enough like old-fashioned Southern greens to satisfy your longing for Grandmamma’s cooking.

1 bunch greens (collards, kale, beet, turnip)
5 – 10 kalamata olives, finely chopped
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, slivered
fresh garlic, finely chopped, to taste, or garlic powder (optional)
chili seasoning, to taste (optional)

1 – Roll up 2 – 3 leaves into a cylindrical “cigar” shape.
2 – With a sharp knife, thinly slice the rolled greens crosswise into ribbons.
3 – Cross-chop the “rounds”
4 – Place in a large bowl.
5 – Repeat steps 1 – 4 until all greens have been chopped.
6 – Add remaining ingredients to bowl and mix.
7 – With hands, ‘massage” greens until bulk is reduced by half.
8 – Set aside to marinate for one hour (or up to 24 hours).
Alternatively, eat right away.

Just in case you missed it – find my CHAMPAGNE Rejuvelac recipe here.

Get moving!!! There are only 5-1/2 days until New Year’s Eve. Yes, you CAN celebrate in style!!!

7/24/08 CSA SHARE: What they say we’ll get

This is what they say we will get.

GOLDEN BEETS……………………1 bunch
PARSLEY……………………………1 bunch
SWISS CHARD…………………….1 bunch
ROMANO or STRING BEANS……1 bag
ZUCCHINI…………………………3 pieces
GARLIC…………………………….2 heads
RED GOLD POTATOES…………..1 quart
CUCUMBERS………………………3 pieces

I emailed the farmers about possibly making a link of useful member sites (as in mine), for recipes, etc.  They responded favorably, so I have started to collect all of the recipes I have posted to date so that I can put them all  on a page (or pages) for easy  access.   I have collected  almost all or the recipes now.  Once I finish going through  the entire blog, I will start to categorize them, and, from there, I will figure out how best to get them on the blog.

Meanwhile, I am getting ready for my food demo tonight. I am going to do marinated greens and a ground beet salad (lucky for me, there are beets in the share!!!!)  I am scheduled to be one of the first demos – good! I can watch the others!!!

Now back to the kitchen!!!!!

WHAT TO DO WITH GREENS: got collards, kale, beet, or turnip greens?

Your beets came with nice pretty fresh green leaves?  Wondering what to do with them (you did not throw them away, did you?)

Here are some recipes  I enjoy so much that I make them over and over again.

WHAT TO DO WITH GREENS

MARINATED GREENS
MARINADE
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
1/4 C sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 C scallions, white parts only, finely only
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t red pepper flakes
2 t sea salt, divided
1/2 t black pepper
1 bunch collard greens (or other greens)
1/8 C olive oil

1 – Mix  apple cider vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 t sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
1 – Roll up 2 – 3 leaves into a cylindrical “cigar” shape.
2 – With a sharp knife, thinly slice the rolled greens crosswise into ribbons.
3 – Cross-chop the “rounds”
4 – Place in a large bowl.
5 – Repeat steps 1 – 4 until all greens have been chopped.
6 – Add in olive oil, remaining 1 t salt, and marinade mixture.
7 -Massage all ingredients until mass is reduced by half.
8 -Refrigerate and marinate for 1 – 24 hours

MASSAGED MARINATED GREENS
this comes out enough like old-fashioned Southern greens to satisfy your longing for Grandmamma’s cooking.

1 bunch greens (collards, kale, beet, turnip)
5 – 10 kalamata olives, finely chopped
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, slivered
fresh garlic, finely chopped, to taste, or garlic powder (optional)
chili seasoning, to taste (optional)

1 – Roll up 2 – 3 leaves into a cylindrical “cigar” shape.
2 – With a sharp knife, thinly slice the rolled greens crosswise into ribbons.
3 – Cross-chop the “rounds”
4 – Place in a large bowl.
5 – Repeat steps 1 – 4 until all greens have been chopped.

6 – Add remaining ingredients to bowl and mix.
7 – With hands, ‘massage” greens until bulk is reduced by half.
8 – Set aside to marinate for one hour (or up to 24 hours).
Alternatively, eat right away.

7/3/08 CSA SHARE: what I got

Been down so long it looks like up to me!
No, I am not depressed – I just tried to download Windows Media, only I only have Windows 98SE, so my system crashed.  I fretted.  Who has money in my family of me(i.e., me, me, or me) to pay for computer repairs?  Then a nice Facebook friend suggested a fix and… after a lot more fretting… it worked!!!!  Yippeee!!!! (I love you Jose!!!!)

So, anyway, this is what they promised, and this is what I got:
BEETS……………………………….1 bunch
DILL:…………………………. …….1 bunch
ZUCCHINI: ……………………..3
ROUND ZUCCHINI………..1 piece
BABY SALAD TURNIPS….1 bunch
GREEN CRISP LETTUCE…1 head
CARROTS ………………………..1 bunch
CUCUMBERS: ………………….2
LETTUCE MIX. ………………..1 bag

I got some collards, too. (Not listed at the farm website)

I got some collards, too.  They went immediately into massaged collard salad.

Whoops! I thought the cucumbers were zucchini!  (Just too used to zucchini, I guess)

The zucchini go to the spiralizer for “pasta”

The dill went into the dehydrator, because I do not trust myself to use the fresh quickly enough.

Carrot juice.
Beet juice.

My favorite beet salad (food process the beets into a fine grate. Add olive oil, finely chopped fresh garlic, apple cider vinegar, mix all)

Green smoothies with the lettuce and turnips, turnip greens and beet greens, plus some tomatoes, and maybe some fruit.

MY FRUIT SHARE WAS
raspberries and blueberries.
I put all the raspberries into one protein shake.
I put all the blueberries into one protein shake.

10-04-07 CSA SHARE: WHAT I REALLY GOT: Surprise! Surprise!

Boo hoo!!!! there I was hoping for that delicious red kale again — and I was looking forward to broccoli…… oh well… this is a crap shoot, or, more positively, we could look at it as a “surprise party” every week. I’m glad I started writing here, because it is interesting, since I have started tracking, to see how many times they got my hopes up and then delivered something else. The something else, more often than not, stretches my creativity,and opens up new avenues and choices.

We are back to lettuce. Lots of it, again. I turned in one red lettuce for more arugula.

WHAT I EXPECTED/WHAT I GOT

Baby Arugula
Cherry Tomatoes
Broccoli Swiss chard (looks like I’m no expert)
Red Kale Collards
Red Beets…. huh? Is there any other color?
Red Leaf Lettuce
Batavian Lettuce
White Turnips
Baby Pumpkin

I also got three things of baby bok choi

Tonight will be grated beet and turnip mix, massaged kale (left over from last week, but still good), probably mixed with beet greens (I looked for kalamata olives, but did not see any at the market, so I will probably do these with sea salt — I was suprised to see, last week, that, with about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, the greens practically “melted” (I had never tried adding salt, mainly because I do not use salt, and just have the one shaker-full for guests). I’ll probably make a nut pate with some of the dehydrated tomatoes, because I want some protein and some fat.

I will make my usual massaged kale salad with the collards and a little added onion. (This week, I did the kale with Thai curry paste, and it was a smash hit… I think it would be better with sesame oil, so I will look for some extra-virgin sesame oil, if there is such a thing— otherwise, I think it will be okay with olive oil)

I will also make some salads via Tomoko’s method of cutting the lettuce to shreds (even though this lettuce is so soft) to take to school for lunch on the weekend.)

Uh oh! Here comes Princess Pet Kitty! Must stop and bow to Her Petness’s demands or she will walk on the keyboard. Must sign off right away. Ahhh, but she is so beautiful and sweet and loving and friendly when I do her bidding. She even purrs for me, if I pet her on demand. How lucky I am to have her!