Shannon’s soup choice was “Hoppin’ John” and since I was away last weekend, I decided to catch up by making it on New Years Day. Given that it is a true Southern tradition,
I’ve made it several times before, but had only used smoked turkey, Now with my foray into the pork world, I could use my leftover Christmas Ham. Even though I had WAY overcooked it, it still worked well in the small cubes cooked in the soup.
I used frozen Black Eyed Peas that came in a 2 pound bag; it was much easier than the soaking/cooking process and they had a nice beany flavor. For a little added kick, I put in some Chipotle Tabasco (which is my best condiment find of 2008) and used a combination of collards and kale from the garden. The soup was like a meal in itself but I also made a cheesey corn bread.
Our great friends and neighbors Anthony and Lyn (LynK from ST) brought a beautiful salad, all picked from his glorious garden, including the sweetest carrots I’ve ever tasted. They also brought a bottle of yummy red Italian wine. We started with a nice, celebratory Prosecco–it was New Years Day, after all.
Here’s a picture from the table:

Anthony made a dessert he called a stratta. It was like bread pudding with berries. We all loved it! Thanks, Antonio.
Today–taking down the tree and Nutcrackers. Kathryn hopes to get some shopping in, too. Sounds like the perfect winding down the vacation day.