A southern Staple

Black Eyed Peas or Red Beans
1 Onion Chopped 1/2 Bell pepper Chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 ribs celery chopped 1 med sized Smoked Ham Hock 1lb dried Beans or Peas 1 can Chicken Stock This recipe is the same for either the beans or the peas, so I went ahead and made both yesterday... :)Start by soaking your beans or peas in a bowl of water for 1 hour. Wilt all the veggies in Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot. Ad the beans and or peas to the veggies, along with the Ham Hock and enough water to Cover Plus the can of Stock. This is where you add the seasonings. I added Tony's, Black Pepper, a very small amount of salt (remember the salty Ham Hock) and Thyme. I did not measure any of these just kind of did it to my own taste. Bring the bean and or Peas to a slow boil and simmer on med heat for one hour for the peas and 2 to 2 1/2 hours for the red beans :) At the end if you have not yet acheived the desired consistency then smash some of the beans and or peas along the side of the pot and then incorporate to thicken! Serve over rice and Buttery Cornbread.