Keep your Feet in the Street

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.