When I make the black-eyed peas, I use whatever is around that I fancy. They always come out good...
I'm the same way about my NYD black-eyes--but had finally settled on two ways that I like them best. "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" is one way, but mostly it's like black-eyed pea chili, with tomatoes, garlic, onions, chile powder, cumin, lots of pork meat of various types.
The second way is pickled, as in Texas Caviar.
Tonight, however, I'm in a dilemma. I cooked the Kitchen Sink recipe all day, thinking all along something was very wrong with the way it smelled. It just didn't smell like chili, so I kept adjusting the seasonings. Still didn't smell right. It smelled like a Christmas tree (and while mine is still up, it's artificial, so that's not what the aroma is).
I started with fresh blackeyes packaged by Frieda's, the veggie people with all the wonderful odd veggies, like sunchokes and things. They should have been fine. But I thought all along I don't like fresh blackeyes in plastic packages, hee hee. I got spoiled by getting fresh ones from a friend who grew bushels of them and I flash-froze them every year just for NYD. I hate blackeyes, actually, so have to find a way to make them flavorful to my taste buds.
Nope, these were "sour" I do believe. So, I threw out the whole darn batch. What a waste of sausage and cooking! I found half a package of dried in the pantry and quick-soaked them, rinsed off the ham hocks from the bad peas, added some bacon and now they smell just like they should. But I'm not doing the all-day dance again.
These will get mashed and refried tomorrow for burritos and another portion for hummus.
HAPPY BLACK-EYED NEW YEAR TO ALL WHO EAT PEAS!!!
Peas, peas, peas, peas, eating goober peas.