Happy New Year 2010!

Its a new year and the weather outside is still frightful. This time of year all I want to do is hibernate and figure out ways to use up holiday leftovers. After all the sugary snacks and tons of meat & carbs without a lot of veg in my diet due to holiday parties I usually like to spend the new year's first weeks balancing my body back to normal.

One of my favorite ways to tackle several of these goals is making a big pot of soup.  This week I have a bunch of leftover ham and a ton of black eyed peas in my pantry. I  wanted to incorporate some iron rich greens back in my system too, so I wrote the recipe below. Incidentally, black eyed peas with ham are a traditional new year's day food in the south. It is said that when you eat them it will bring you luck for the coming year.
Black Eyed Pea Soup- serves 4

• 2  tablespoons  cooking oil
• 6  scallions, white bulbs and green tops chopped and reserved separately
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2  pound Kale or other greens, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and shredded (about 4 cups)
• 2 10-  ounces  packages frozen black-eyed peas,about 4 cups (you can also use canned or dried ones)
  
• 3  cups  water
• 3  cups  canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock ( i like to make one using the leftover ham bone)
  
• 1/2  teaspoon  Tabasco sauce
• 1 3/4  teaspoons  salt
• 1 1/2-  pounds  piece ham, diced
• 1/4  teaspoon  fresh-ground black pepper
• 2  teaspoons  red- or white-wine vinegar

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the scallion bulbs and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
2. Add the Kale, black-eyed peas, water, broth, Tabasco, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the black-eyed peas are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir the ham into the soup and cook until the ham is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pepper, vinegar, and scallion tops.
Variations: Instead of the Kale, use your own favorite greens. Collard, mustard, Swiss chard, or beet greens would each lend its unique flavor to the soup.