My lovely little bumps: 3 fresh black eyed peas recipes

As a kid, dinner was a much simpler affair. It consisted with helping with dinner by setting the table-I might have done cups and plates, and my sister had to place the napkins and utensils. Occasionally we might be asked to shuck some corn in the summer. We would sit out on the porch and strip those babies clean, making a naked cob pyramid on the cute-sy melamine plates with sis/my artwork on them. Then after dinner it was a matter of helping to load the dishwasher or dry the pots and pans.

Once I had my driver's license, I offered to start cooking a couple times a week for Mom since I could go pick up the groceries myself. I started with Betty Crocker and 30 Minute Desperation Dinners cookbooks (favorite pesto recipe in the latter). When she arrived home on those nights, she gave me a big squeeze with a "thank you, hon" with a look of relief in her eyes. I began to see how much thought, time and love had to go into making a meal--even if using short cuts like pre-made spaghetti sauce or canned beans!  No shame in taking a little help when you need it. So thanks, Mom, Dad and anyone who has cooked a meal with or especially for me.

This week I got fresh black eyed peas in my box, so shelling those bumps out made me think of the summer days of corn shucking. Takes a fair amount of time, but the taste of fresh compared to canned or dried is a suitable reward (I cannot say the same for fava beans though with two layers to peel off, at least not the one time I tried them fresh-can anyone vouch for them?) Apparently if you pick black eyed peas before they are dried, yellowed and spotted (which is said to be the right condition for drying and storing longer term), you can eat them cooked in their pods 6" long, slightly thicker than matchstick wide also...but with CSA, there is no choice and I wanted to try eating them fresh.

1 gallon sized Ziplock bag 3/4 full probably took me 30-40 minutes total (I did half one day and half another) and yielded about 3 cups of raw beans. I cooked all of them in boiling water for 10 minutes before draining and rinsing them. They had a little snap to them-not mushy. I made three dishes with them, with the prep times on all three, I would do planning ahead and make in stages or wait until you have a non-time constraint day.

First, I portioned out 1/2 cup of cooked beans and ate them with a dollop of the roasted lemon chutney tested by 101 Cookbook (stumbled upon the recipe in Sept 2012).

Second, I decided to try out another 101 Cookbook's tested recipe, New Year Noodle Soup using 2 cups of these beans instead of borlotti beans. I used 2/3 cup dried chickpeas instead of canned as I sometimes try to keep sodium lower, which required an overnight soak. I overestimated a tad had a 1/3 cup of cooked beans left over since they expand with cooking. I left out the noodles...if I was a runner and carbing up I would add them in a heartbeat. But I am only doing 2 miles, twice a week if that.

Last, I fried up half cup of onion with olive oil and Emeril's essence to mix with the remaining cup of black-eye peas to make Vegan Lunch Box's Tamales (recipe ingredients modifed slightly below), I found the recipe listed on Chow.com. I have added a note as I steamed them differently, swapped out refried beans and made them vegetarian instead.

Ingredients for Tamales

Yields 8 Tamales

• 4 ounces dried corn husks*
• 2 cups instant masa harina**
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• About 1 1/8 cups warm vegetable broth, plus more as needed
• Bean Filling (recipes below)
• Salsa

 * Try a Mexican food market, Albertson's or, if you live by a Filipino market get the frozen banana leaves.
** This is corn flour, different from cornmeal, it's very fine. Store securely in real snap shut containers, we have a moth problem in San Diego and my last bag got invaded :( 

Tools you need
1 steamer basket  or 2 layer bamboo steamer .
1 medium bowl for mixing
1 small bowl for dry ingredients
1 large pan for soaking husks (or use sink as author suggests, I was too lazy to clean my sink)
Electric mixer

 

Instructions for Tamales

1. Start the dried corn husks soaking in a sink full of warm water about 15 minutes before you begin so they can soften (put a lid or plate over the husks to keep them submerged).
2. In a small bowl, mix together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld beater or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening until it is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the masa to the shortening, alternating with the broth, until a light, nonsticky dough is formed. Use only as much broth as needed. Continue beating for 1 minute more.
4. Divide dough into 8 balls. To shape the tamales, pat a large corn husk dry and lay it out with the tapered end facing you. Spread each ball into a 4-inch square in the middle of the husk about 3/4 of an inch down from the top of the husk.
5. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of  beans down the center of the masa dough. Pick up the sides of the corn husk and fold them in, closing up the beans in masa. Fold up the tapered section of the husk to form the sealed bottom of the tamale (the top remains open). Tie up the tamale loosely using kitchen twine or a strip of corn husk.
6. Set all the tamales upright on their folded bottoms in a large steamer basket with a bit of room between them for the steam to circulate. Steam over boiling water for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tamale dough pulls away easily from the corn husk. (Sara's note: tamales will be set on their sides if you use a bamboo steamer. In either case, be sure to check your water level every 10 minutes or so and add more if needed.)
7. Serve tamales with salsa.
8. Tamales refrigerate and freeze well. Reheat by steaming them for a few minutes or popping them in the microwave.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Bean Filling

1 cup cooked black eyed peas
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 regular spoonfuls of Emeril's essence
about 2 tsp Olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium high. Add a bit of onion and when it sizzles, add the rest. Cook 2-3 minutes so the onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add the Emeril's essence. Take off heat and mix in the black eyed peas.
 
When/why did you first start cooking?