Dear beginning gardeners and everyone else,
I love black-eyed peas because they are easy and fun to grow. The varieties of black-eyed peas include field peas, cowpeas, Big Red Zipper, Turkey Craw, Lady Cream Peas, Sea Island Red, Queen Ann, Pinkeye Purple Hull, etc. All are in the big Vigna unguiculata species and share common characteristics.
First, they are not really peas, they are beans, and have the same low-fat, high-protein, high-fiber, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer profile of other legumes. They are among the oldest domesticated crops, traced back over 5,000 years to western Africa. They spread to Asia, ancient Greece and Rome, around the known world and, with the slave trade, to the Americas. There are Asian Indian black-eyed pea curries, Chinese black-eyed bean cakes, African gumbos, Ethiopian coconut and black-eyed pea stews, Brazilian black-eyed pea fritters and Southern American Hoppin’ John (black-eyed peas and rice, traditionally cooked for good luck at the new year).
And here are the reasons why I love them:
You can plant the same beans that you buy at the grocery store (organic recommended) or find colorful variations from seed companies.
Planted after the last frost (mid-May to June 1) they germinate fast, in just 2-5 days.
They like alkaline soil, which is what we have here in the arid Southwest.
Like other legumes, they set nitrogen and improve the soil, so they make a good cover crop.
Regular black-eyed peas are bush beans and need no support (some specialty varieties are climbers and will need it).
They make a good forage crop for animals, including wildlife.
They are drought-tolerant, love dry heat and full sun.
They are fast-growing, about 70 days to full maturity, so you can plant them as late as July 1 and still get a crop.
They are resistant to bean beetles, a major bean pest.
They make great bean sprouts! Plant thickly, then thin your seedlings and snip off the root end — wonderful in a stir-fry.
They have edible leaves! Mutakura is a traditional Zimbabwean dish made with fresh cowpea leaves, onions, tomatoes and spices.
The pods make excellent green beans when picked young.
They are easy to pick because they hold their pods above the plants.
When picked more mature, but still green, they make delicious green shell beans.
Picked fully mature and dry, you can use them just like any other dry bean.
Dry black-eyed peas cook in just an hour, as opposed to three to four hours for common beans.
Like all dry beans they are easy to store. (Remember to freeze dried beans for two weeks after harvesting to kill bean-weevil eggs.)
Dry and sealed, they will keep for years.
They are used in many delicious and varied recipes around the world.
You can save the beans for seed!
From the last frost around mid-May through early August you can plant your own black-eyed pea plot. Make it as large or as small as you have space. For beginning gardeners you can plant blackeyes in a flower pot. Or plant them after harvesting early crops like garlic or onions as an edible cover crop.
So go get those cowpeas or black-eyed peas in any incarnation. Get ready to plant. Summer is coming!
Nutritional information from Food Struct, a great resource with charts and graphs and no ads!
Sources for unusual varieties:
Victory Seeds: victoryseeds.com
Southern Exposure Seed Company: southernexposure.com
Willhite Seed Company: willhiteseed.com
Urban Farmer: ufseeds.com
Greek Black-eyed Pea Salad
One more reason to love black-eyed peas. Makes 3 cups
3 cups cooked black-eyed peas or 1 ½ cups dry beans boiled in plenty of water for about 1 hour, until tender. Drained and cooled to room temperature.
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried and crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves (optional, but very good)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (red or white)
2 large cloves garlic, crushed and finely minced
Zest of one orange (optional)
Crumbled feta cheese (cow, goat, or vegan)
Mix the cooked black-eyed peas, salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, mint, olive oil, onion, garlic and orange zest. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Marinate at least 4 hours. Top with cheese and serve at room temperature or chilled. Keeps up to one week refrigerated.
Leafy Goodness: Mutakura - A Zimbabwean Delight!
“Mutakura holds a special place in Zimbabwean cuisine, with a history that dates back generations. Passed down through the ages, this traditional dish represents the resourcefulness and resilience of the people. In the past, when food was scarce, the locals relied on the abundance of cowpea leaves to sustain themselves.”
https://inventedrecipes.com/recipe/440
Hoppin' John from Serious Eats
This version of the Southern New Year's Day staple features tender and earthy field peas cooked with fluffy rice and rich and smoky ham hocks.
Chef Molly Beverly is Prescott's leading creative food activist and teacher. Photos by Gary Beverly.
