Edd's Gatherin' Place

Southern New Year’s Day cooking was the norm at our house today. The meal consisted of Ham (freshly cured); Collard Greens cooked using a ham hock, Black Eyed Peas and Cornbread. Beside the traditional meal the wife cooked her famous, at least to us, Brown Rice and Green Bean Casserole and her tasteful Pork Chops.

Tradition says that the Collard Greens represent paper money, the ham a time for looking forward and not backwards (a pig can only look forward), Cornbread represents gold, and Black Eyed Peas represent coins or silver money.

We have this meal every January 1. Coming home from the drug store earlier we stopped by a friend’s house and the wife’s best friend was preparing this same meal for her mother, father, husband and herself.

Whether the premise is true who knows but most if not all southern families have this traditional meal to start the New Year off with a feeling of comfort.

See you soon…