Cornpone and a mess of peas

Having the back garden getting started up has been bringing back memories of hot August days picking and shelling beans then having cornpone and a mess of peas for dinner.

Cornpone
Put 2TBS oil in a skillet (cover the bottom) and put it in the oven while it preheats to 400.

1.5 cups fine white corn meal

1 tsp salt

1 TBS baking powder

1.5 cups hot tap water.

 

Mix all the dry stuff. Mix in the hot water gradually. You want the batter to be not soupy, but not too thick.   Heaping spoonful blobs in the hot skillet. You want it to spread out a bit when it is spooned in the hot skillet. Bake for 30 minutes.

Field Peas

"Put a thick slice of bacon, some salt and enough water to cover the fresh shelled peas in a pot and boil'em till they are tender(about an hour and carefull not to let the water boil out). Then fry some corn bread, slice a fresh tomato, put some sliced onion and a green cayenne pepper on the side and have a feast."

Relish
They call it chow-chow?  Hmmm ....

4 c Chopped cabbage
3 c Chopped cauliflower
2 c Chopped onions
2 c Chopped green tomatoes
2 c Chopped green bell peppers
3 tb Salt
2 1/2 c Vinegar
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 ts Dry mustard
1 ts Ground turmeric
1/2 ts Ground ginger
2 ts Celery seeds
1 ts Mustard seeds
Combine cabbage, cauliflower, onions, green tomatoes and bell peppers.
Sprinkle with salt. Let mixture stand 4 to 6 hours in cool place.
Drain well. Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard, turmeric, ginger, celery
seeds and mustard seeds in large saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes. Add
vegetable mixture and simmer 10 minutes longer. Bring to boil. Pack,
boiling hot, into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.
Adjust lids and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
Makes 4 pints

OK, that is not what I remember.  My memory is green/yellow/red tomato diced, vidalia onion diced, pepper diced and probably some celery.  And the spices.  And I think we ate it all or refrigerated any left overs.

Oh, and pepper juice.  Easy as pie.  Take a bottle, cram full of hot peppers.  Fill with vinegar.  Sit on kitchen table with salt & pepper and allow to marinate.  Dash over everything; but especially field peas and greens.

Now if I could just find that illusive field pea from my childhood taste bud memories.