Southern Traditions & Hoppin' John

When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to make a dish called Hoppin' John. She didn't make it often, but I can remember having it with her famous cornbread. (That recipe is also on my blog in my archives)  As I have told you before, fall really reminds me of my sweet little grandmother. I'm not sure why this time of year stirs up so many memories, but I find myself cooking a lot of her dishes lately. I know she would have been amazed at my twist on her traditional Southern dish AND that it was cooked in the slow cooker or crock pot. I tweaked it a bit to make it a complete one-dish meal for my family. Hope doesn't always get the name right and sometimes calls it Poppin' John. It makes me smile! Both girls loved this dish. I hope your family will too. : )

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom and read
the history of Hoppin' John.  I can't make this
without thinking of my sweet MaMa Craig!

Hoppin’ John
Slow Cooker Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, run through a press or finely chopped
1 T. Adams Best Cajun Seasoning (substitute Tony Chachere’s NO SALT version if your store doesn’t carry it)
2 (16 oz.) packages frozen black-eyed peas
1 ¼ c.  sliced green onion, divided
2 cups HOT water
¾ c. chopped red bell pepper
2 finely chopped, seeded jalapeño peppers
2 tsp. hot sauce (Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce)
1 T. Adams Best Cajun Seasoning
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 (14 ½ oz.) can Cajun stewed tomatoes, undrained
2/3 c. UNCOOKED converted rice (Uncle Ben’s)

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain, return to pan, add 1 T. Cajun seasoning and mix well. Store in a large Ziploc bag or plastic tub for later.
2. Place peas, ¾ c. green onions, water and next 7 ingredients into a 4 qt. slow cooker; stir well.
3. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
4. Stir in tomatoes, beef, and rice and cover and cook an additional hour or until peas and rice are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Stir in remaining green onions.

This is one of those meals that needs some Sweet Tea.  When I was growing up, we drank iced tea with every meal.  I didn't know there was such a thing as unsweetened tea, as most Southerners I know only drink sweet tea.  So if you are anxious to sip a glass of tea tonight, try this on for a twist:
2 family-sized Lipton tea bags (we only use decaffeinated)
1 regular size Earl Grey tea bag (decaffeinated as well)
10 cups of boiling water
3/4 c. sugar (we use Splenda)

I steep my tea in on old automatic coffee maker.  I just run the water through with my tea bags in the caraffe.  When all the water has run through.  I turn off the warmer and let steep.  When it's cool, I pour it into a big pitcher and add the sugar/splenda.  I then add ice to make it a full pitcher.  And ice tea should always be served in a pretty glass.  : )  Just a little tip from me to you. 

History of Hoppin' John
Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. Gullah or Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Carolinas, especially the Sea islands (a cluster of islands stretching along the coats of south Carolina and northern Georgia). Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce.

There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately.

The first written recipe for Hoppin John appeared in The Carolina Housewife in 1847.

Most food historians generally agree that Hoppin John is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name:

It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and hop around the table before sitting down to eat.

A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove.

An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John"

The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was known as Hoppin' John.