I have a small freestanding freezer that doesn’t self-defrost, and yesterday I decided to defrost it. It wasn’t really a pandemic-related stay-at-home activity, as I have to do it every few months anyway. And every time I do so, I discover something good that I’d long since forgotten about. We all have these items hidden away in our freezers; my friend Cliff Wright tells me he has five pounds of sweetbreads in his. Only Cliff would have five pounds of frozen sweetbreads.

The item I pulled out and didn’t put back in yesterday was a container of marinated black-eyed peas that I’d frozen after my annual New Years Day Black-eyed Peas open house. I have this party every year (though 2021 will most probably be an exception), and every year it’s the same menu. It’s all about the black-eyed peas, which, in the Texas tradition, we eat for good luck. But in Texas they cook theirs with ham hocks; I cook mine with garlic, onion and bay leaf and serve them as a warm salad with a cumin-scented vinaigrette. I serve a big cheese board alongside, and another simple salad of carrots, steamed and marinated in sherry vinegar and olive oil, and tossed with fresh mint. There’s lots of bread, and something sweet – cookies, chocolates, and a big bowl of tangerines.

I always make a quadruple recipe of the black-eyed peas for this event, as I’m never sure how many people will show up. Invariably, I have lots left over. Long before the guests arrive I toss all of the peas in the dressing, but I hold off on adding the chopped peppers and cilantro to half of them so that if I do have a lot left over they will freeze nicely.

​This is what I pulled from my freezer. I had forgotten all about them but they were no worse for wear after being frozen for five months. I had some bell peppers and cilantro on hand so it was easy to make my traditional salad. Dinner was ready in no time. Hopefully we got a good helping of luck along with the pleasure we took in this meal.
 
Black-Eyed Peas Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
Yield: Serves 6
 
 
For the beans:
1 medium onion, cut in half
3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 pound black-eyed peas, washed and picked over
1 bay leaf
2 quarts water
Salt to taste
 
For the dressing and salad:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons lightly toasted cumin, ground
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup broth from the beans
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
 
1. Combine the onion, garlic, black-eyed peas, bay leaf and the water in a soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam from the surface of the water. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (I start with 2 teaspoons; usually I add a little more). Cover and simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart, usually about 10 to 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion and bay leaf. Carefully drain the beans through a colander or strainer set over a bowl. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
2. In a pyrex measuring cup or a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and mustard. Whisk in the bean broth, then the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add a little more vinegar if you wish. Stir the dressing into the warm beans. Stir in the bell peppers and cilantro, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
 
Advance preparation: The beans will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator; toss them with the vinaigrette, but if you aren't serving them right away, wait and add the cilantro and red pepper just before serving. They will freeze, either in their broth or in the vinaigrette, for 6 months or longer.

I always get a “two-for” when I buy beets, whether at the farmers market or the grocery store. The farmers market is my favorite place to buy them, because many customers ask the vendors to cut off the greens when they buy beets. “I’ll take them!” I always pipe up if I happen to be in line. And if I’m not, I know that my favorite vendor at the Brentwood farmers market keeps a couple of large boxes behind his stand with greens for the picking; I always go home with full bags and spend a little time on Sunday stemming and cleaning the greens, blanching, and freezing what I don’t use right away.
Those customers at the market who don’t know that the lush bunch of greens attached to the beets is a vegetable in itself look at me inquiringly and ask what I do with them. I use them exactly as I would use Swiss chard; they are very similar. The simplest thing is to arrange them, blanched or steamed, on a platter over or surrounded by sliced roasted beets. Drizzle everything with olive oil, add a little vinegar or lemon juice if desired, sprinkle with feta, and serve.
Now I’m glad I’ve stocked up and have some blanched greens in the freezer, as alas, I’m not going to the market. I still order beets from the local market, hoping for the best, though I’ve observed over the years that the supermarket beets are trimmed more; maybe not as much in the organic section. Meanwhile, I’m putting my pre-coronavirus greens to good use.
 
 
Beet Greens and Grains Gratin
Serves 4 to 6
1 generous bunch beet greens, stemmed and washed (about 3/4 pound) in 2 changes of water (more to taste)
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (more to taste)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (1/2 teaspoon dried)
Salt to taste
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked farro, brown rice, black rice or Arborio rice
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup, tightly packed)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
 
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Either blanch the beet greens for 1 minute in a large pot of generously salted boiling water, or steam over 1 inch of boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes, until wilted and tender. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain, then take up by the handful and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the cooked greens and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir in the greens mixture, the farro or rice, and the gruyère and mix together well. Scrape into the oiled baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of oil.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until sizzling and nicely browned on the top and sides. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
 
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Advance preparation: The gratin will be good for 3 or 4 days, and is as good served cold or at room temperature as it is hot.