Black Eyed Peas Love Collards

Before I moved to Louisiana, I associated the words "black eyed peas" with hip hop music. (You know, "Where is the Love?") And while I knew my arugula from my escarole, I had never met a collard or a turnip green. Please don't judge me.

I am now Southern by marriage, and my mother-in-law has taught me how to cook all of these foods. Now, I don't know if she would approve of my "interpretation" of black eyed peas and collards, but I think she'd be glad to know that her son cleaned his plate.

(Btw: I adapted the black eyed peas recipe from Deborah Madison's brilliant Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (306); the collards come from Alicia Silverstone's new book The Kind Diet (176). I tripled the amount of garlic, celery, and peas in Deborah's recipe; I also left out the butter and chili flakes. I changed Alicia's recipe by substituting raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds for pine nuts; I also left the stems intact (sorry, but I refuse to sacrifice nutrition for aesthetics).

What You Need for the Black Eyed Peas:

1 bag dried black eyed peas

3 ribs of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 bay leaves

1.5 tsp. dried thyme

3 tbsp. olive oil

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

What To Do

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot

Add the chopped vegetables, garlic, and jalapeno

Cook for five minutes

Add thyme and a pinch or two of salt and pepper

Add the peas

Cover the peas with water (the water should reach the top of the peas, but not much further than that)

Add bay leaves

Cover the pot and turn heat to low

Let simmer for a few hours, until the peas are soft

(Check the pot every 30 minutes to an hour, and add more water if necessary)

What You Need for the Collards:

One bunch of collards, washed and chopped (discard the long, bottom stems, but do not separate the leaves from the remaining stem)

3 tbsp. raisins

3 tbsp. raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat

Add the collards and cook a few minutes (just until the leaves soften and turn bright green).

Add raisins and pumpkin seeds; cook for another minute

Toss with balsamic vinegar.

Serve the peas on a bed of collards.

If you're super crazy hungry and want more food, add baked yams, whole grain bread, and a green salad.