Black Eyed Peas

It's midnight and I can hear the incessant call of the whippoorwill from the nearby forest. Last time I told you about planting peas when you first hear the whippoorwill in Spring. I happened to see fresh frozen black eyed peas at the market. I grabbed a package of them to cook for our visitors from New Hampshire and Finland this week. Photo above is the pier at Fort Island Beach in Crystal River from a recent day trip. Click the link to see more photos of this nearby beach and park.

I put about two cups of peas in a large stock pot and just covered them with water. I added one onion chopped fine, four small slices of pre-cooked Canadian bacon chopped medium (my grandmother would have use salt pork or fat back), some celery slices, and spices like ground bay, oregano, dried chipotle pepper, salt, black pepper, marjoram, etc. I brought the mixture to a boil and then turned down the heat to simmer the peas for about 45 minutes. They turned out delicious and are a hearty meal on a cold day. Serve with some corn bread to sop up the juices.

Photo above is the boardwalk at Cooter Pond in Inverness on another day trip. Click the link to see more photos from this local attraction. Our visitors are leaving today so I'll have more time to visit your blogs. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.