Black-Eyed Peas and Polenta

I suspect this would be even better with home-soaked beans (update: it totally is), but it worked just fine with canned and made for a lovely, hearty, comfort-foodish sort of meal.

We served them over polenta (you could substitute rice), and paired it with a mixture of turnip greens (left over from our yellow turnips earlier this week) and some gorgeous young collard greens from our co-op, using this recipe.

Ingredients
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 strip pastured smoked bacon, sliced crosswise into strips
1 Anaheim chili, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cans Eden Organic black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (or sub 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight in 4 cups water, then rinsed and drained)
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup or more veggie broth
Salt and pepper
                                                            Small handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a little olive oil in a pot over medium heat, then add onion and saute for about three minutes. Push to the side of the pan, add the bacon, and allow to brown on one side (stirring the onion on its own side from time to time, as well). Mix together, add the peppers, and continue to cook until the onion is soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more, stirring, then add the black-eyed peas and saute for 2-3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, then the veggie broth (enough so that you can see it at the level of the beans). Cover partially, and let simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is mostly evaporated, stirring occasionally (if you're using soaked dried beans, simmer for 25-40 minutes until beans are tender, and add a little water if it starts to get dry since the beans will absorb more of the liquid).

Uncover, season with salt, black pepper, and parsley to taste, and serve.

Serves 3-4.