Recipe: "Hoppin' Jane"

This is what I made for supper tonight.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
cold water
2 cups einkorn wheat berries
hot water
apple cider vinegar
5 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup parsley flakes
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon applewood smoked salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

Directions:

The night before:  In a large colander, rinse the black-eyed peas.  Remove any debris or misshapen peas.  Place the black-eyed peas in a large ceramic bowl and cover them with cold water, enough to rise two inches above the peas (about four cups).  Cover with cling wrap and put the bowl in the refrigerator.

In a large sieve, rinse the einkorn wheat berries.  Remove any debris or misshapen wheat.   Put the wheat in a medium-sized ceramic bowl.  Cover with hot water, enough to rise two inches above the wheat (about four cups).  Add a splash of apple cider vinegar (about 1/8 cup).  Wait for the water to cool.  Cover with cling wrap and put the bowl in the refrigerator.

The next morning:  In a large colander, rinse the black-eyed peas.  Put them in a crockpot and turn it on High.  In a large sieve, rinse the einkorn wheat berries.  Add them to the crockpot.  Pour in 5 cups chicken broth.  The liquid should rise a little above the peas and wheat.  Cover and cook for about an hour.

Add 1 bay leaf, 1/3 cup parsley flakes, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon applewood smoked salt, 1/4 teaspoon smoked black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder.  Stir.

Cover and cook for three more hours.  Keep an eye on the contents, stirring occasionally.  Add more water if the peas and wheat run dry.  They should cook down to a wet mass, but not too soupy.  The Hoppin' Jane is done when the black-eyed peas are soft and the wheat berries are tender and chewy.

Notes:

Hoppin' John is traditionally made with black-eyed peas and rice.  However, pretty much any legume/grain combination will make a complete protein.  This Hoppin' Jane variation is good for folks who can't digest rice well.

Remember that dried peas/beans benefit from soaking overnight before use.  They're healthier and cheaper than canned ones.  If you forget to soak the black-eyed peas, just put them in the crockpot dry and figure it will take at least twice as long to cook: about 8 hours on High or 10-12 on Low.  Make sure they come to a boil to break down the lectin.  Some slow cookers will eventually boil on Low, some only on High, and some not at all; know your equipment.

Einkorn wheat is an ancient variety.  Look for it at health food stores.  If you can't find any, domesticated wheat berries will also work.  It's more nutritious if soaked in water with a bit of vinegar the night before.  If you forget, you can quick-cook it in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then add to the recipe.

Parsley flakes add a bit of green to this dish.  Dried cilantro also works.  Some people make Hoppin' John with fresh kale or spinach.

Garam masala is a sweet-spicy flavoring blend from East Indian cuisine.  For a different note, Cajun seasoning or chili powder should also work, although you might need less since those are hotter.

Applewood smoked salt is a gourmet salt.  Any smoked salt will do, or failing that, use sea salt or plain table salt.

Smoked black pepper is a fancy pepper.  Plain is fine if that's all you have.

I meant to use smoked paprika but we were out, hence the division between plain paprika and chipotle powder (which is a smoked pepper spice).

People put all kinds of stuff into Hoppin' John, which is really more of an algorithm than a recipe.  A ham hock or a cup of chopped bacon will add meat flavor.  A cup or two of chopped vegetables such as tomato or onion will vary the texture more.  Use whatever you have and like.