New Year’s Hoppin’ John Recipe with Kale

Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is an old Southern tradition. In fact black-eyed peas have been a symbol of luck and prosperity since Biblical times at least. Here’s a delicious way to enjoy their tasty, lucky goodness this year.

History of Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’ John is a traditional New Year’s dish from the American South that is made with bacon, salt pork or hog jowl, black-eyed peas, greens like collards or kale, and sometimes rice. The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represent positive motion.

Some say the dish is named for an old, hobbled man called Hoppin’ John who became known for selling peas and rice on the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, but most food historians think the name comes from a French term for dried peas, “pois pigeons.” It’s also uncertain why the dish became associated with New Year’s and good luck.

New Year’s Traditions

Some people believe you should cook your New Year’s Hoppin’ John recipe with a new dime or penny, or add it to the pot before serving. The person who finds the coin in their portion will be extra lucky that year.

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24 Grain Free Holiday Cookie Recipes

Here are 24 delicious, dairy free, grain free holiday cookie recipes that are so darned yummy, no one will know the difference!

Continue reading 24 Grain Free Holiday Cookie Recipes at Small Footprint Family.