Hoppin' John

½ lb lean Harvest Haven beef bacon, diced large

2 Harvest Haven onions, chopped

2 - 4 Harvest Haven garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c roasted red pepper, chopped

2 c black-eyed peas, dry and un-soaked

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 c water

4 c Harvest Haven chicken broth

2 c long-grain white rice, dry

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 c torn collard green leaves (kale, Swiss chard, or mustard greens) (optional)

In a large soup pot, sauté bacon over medium-high heat, until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon, and leave 1 Tbsp of bacon grease in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and garlic. Sauté until soft and golden, 2-3 minutes. Add red pepper.

Add the bacon back to the pan along with the black-eyed peas, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add the water and chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain just a bare simmer. Simmer, covered, for 30- 60 min until the black-eyed peas are nearly tender.

Add the rice and cook, covered,15-20 minutes, until the rice is mostly tender and liquid is nearly all absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat, and mix in the diced tomatoes and torn collard greens (if using). Then let the pot sit, covered for 10 minutes, to let the rice finish steaming and the greens wilt.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve with collard greens and cornbread.