Hoppin' John Stew and Okra Cornmeal Fritters

I took Jacob and Taylor Grace to the Memphis farmers' market Saturday.  Jacob loved it!  He enjoyed seeing all the people and grooving to the tunes of the band.  He admired the flowers at one stand so much the lady finally gave him one.  Taylor Grace seemed to enjoy riding around in the stroller and having people comment on her cuteness.  I loved all the fresh produce, bread, and meat.

As soon as we got our goods back home, we enjoyed a thick slice of sourdough bread with some muscadine jelly.  Mmmm.  Later, I used half of my okra to make okra fritters.  This recipe looked tasty: it had bacon, okra, cornmeal, and buttermilk.  But, it turned out bland and unremarkable- a waste of perfectly good okra and bacon.  I will have to come up with a different way to use the rest of the okra.

I also made hoppin' john stew.  I saw the recipe in the "$10 Spot"section of Everyday with Rachel Ray.  I was initially skeptical because of the lack of bacon or ham hock.  But, I never missed it.  The soup was filling, healthy, and made a lot.  It was even better for lunch today since the flavors had more time to develop.  If you like hoppin' john, you will like hoppin' john stew.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup long-grain rice (I used brown)
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) vegetable broth
• 1 bunch collard greens, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Two 15.5-ounce cans black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, collard greens and thyme. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, coarsely mash 1 cup black-eyed peas. Add them to the pot along with the remaining black-eyed peas and 3 cups water and simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.