4th of July at Home

Supper for Mom & Dad

(the ubiquitous but always tasty) Grilled Flatiron Steak

Pole Beans Cooked with Country Ham

Mashed Potatoes (for the kids)

Scott's Special Coleslaw

Grilled Garlic Bread

Fresh Watermelon Chunks

Blueberry-Lime Pound Cake from Fine Cooking

Peas on Earth, Goodwill to Men

Dried black eyed peas. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

On Jan. 1, New Year's tradition holds to eat greens or cabbage for wealth and black-eyed peas for good luck. I don't mind the greens, but, honestly, black-eyed peas boiled with pork taste just like dirt boiled with pork. A few years ago, I discovered Black-Eyed Peas Vinaigrette in Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking (I love the cover of Craig in his high-waisted trousers by a bountiful outdoors buffet). It is more refined than the usual boiled peas and a fine change-up for the New Year's Day menu.

Black-Eyed Peas Vinaigrette

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas

8 cups water

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 onion stuck with two cloves

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp dried thyme

4 sprigs parsley

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 tbsp finely chopped shallots

1 tsp finely minced garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

1. Rinse and pick over the peas and place in a kettle. Add the water, salt, pepper, and onion stuck with cloves. Tie the garlic clove, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley sprigs in a cheesecloth bag, and add it. Bring to the boil and simmer until the peas are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Remove the onion and cheesecloth bag. Drain the peas.

3. Put the peas in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, shallots, minced garlic, chopped parsley, vinegar, and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to blend well. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature (my preference).

Text and images copyright 2008. Lucy Mercer

Bean Soup on a Snowy Day

Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 A rare snowy day here in Georgia, the first for my 2 year old who ran through the snow with her arms outstretched chanting, "snow, snow, snow!" She and her big sister built a snowman, and after placing the head lump on the body lump, danced around shouting "Fwosty uh foh-man!" You can tell she's very influenced by holiday cartoons.

While watching the flakes fall, I made bean soup with ham and Crescent Dragonwagon's skillet-sizzled cornbread (from Dairy Hollow House Soup and Bread Book). The soup can be made with bacon or ham or kielbasa. Here's the recipe:

Bean Soup with Bacon

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 slices bacon or 1/2 cup ham or 1/2 cup chopped sausage
1 can chicken broth
3 cans navy beans, undrained, or 1/2 lb. dry white beans, soaked
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute vegetables in olive oil until softened, and add ham or bacon or sausage. After meat is cooked, you may need to drain off some of the fat. Add chicken broth and beans and bay leaf and simmer for 15 minutes.

Grown up version: add a dried chile, seeds removed, to simmering soup. Discard bay leaf and chile before serving.