GINA Ever since I was a little girl, my mom has been telling me that if you don’t eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day you’ll have a bad year ahead of you. Now, when I was younger I didn’t care a bit. I was going through that awkward stage anyway—how much worse could it be? But as I got older, I learned to love that black-eyed pea tradition, convinced that my year was going to be fantastic! And you know what’s funny? I tell my girls the same thing. Who says traditions and superstitions aren’t effective? Not to mention that black-eyed peas are rich in calcium and vitamin A. What could be bad about that? Of course, this being a Gina recipe, I added in my favorite collard greens. . . . Mmm, even better.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 small bunch (about 1 pound) collard greens

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　6 ounces smoked ham steak, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　4 cloves garlic, minced

　　1 medium carrot, chopped

　　1 stalk celery, chopped

　　1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

　　1 dried bay leaf

　　One 15 1/2-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

　　One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices

　　1 cup cooked long-grain white rice

　　Dash of hot sauce, preferably Tabasco

　　Dash of Worcestershire sauce

　　Parmesan cheese, grated, for topping

　　

Step 1

Remove the stems and center ribs from the collard greens. Stack about six leaves on top of each other, roll into a cigar shape, and slice into thin ribbons.

　　

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, toss in the ham, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, roughly 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the red-pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Add the collard greens, and sauté until they begin to soften.

　　

Step 3

Pour in the chicken broth, the bay leaf, the black-eyed peas, and the can of tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the rice into the soup to warm. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

　　

Step 4

Spoon into bowls, and sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan cheese.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.