Good Luck Foods for the New Year

According to tradition — and superstition — there are certain foods that will bring good luck to the New Year. Read on for five of our favorite lucky foods (who doesn’t need a little more luck in their life?).

Hoppin’ John

Serves 4
Hoppin’ John is said to be good luck because the black-eyed peas represent coins. Either way, this dish with creamy, buttery black-eyed peas and steamed rice is delicious, lucky or not.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 cups vegetable, chicken or beef broth (we used 1/2 beef and 1/2 chicken)
bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, removed from stems and minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups steamed white rice
2-3 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Soaking the beans overnight not only reduces the cooking time, but results in a more evenly-cooked bean.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the beans, broth, bay leaf, thyme and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes, or until the beans are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.

Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with green onions. (Hot sauce would be good, too).

Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread

Makes one 8×8 pan
Cornbread gets its lucky reputation from its gold color. Sweet, buttery and the perfect texture, this cornbread is delicious with a little honey drizzled over the top or alongside Hoppin’ John.

INGREDIENTS:
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square pan.

Melt the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Pour the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and add the eggs. Beat until blended. Combine the buttermilk and baking soda and add that to the bowl. Mix in the cornmeal, flour and salt and stir until blended. Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Change-Your-Mind Chard

Serves 2-4 as a side
Chard, collard greens (see recipe below) and any other green food/dish represents money and is said to bring wealth. Ka-ching! This method for cooking chard is so delicious, we’re positive it will change your mind and turn you into a chard lover (if you weren’t already).

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 bunch chard, washed, stems and leaves chopped
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the sesame oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chard and toss to coat in oil (we use tongs to maneuver all the chard). Saute the chard 1-2 minutes, depending on your preference (see note). Add in the soy sauce and toss to coat. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Note: Depending on how wilted you like your chard will change the cooking time. If you’re new to trying cooked chard, we recommend cooking for less time because this will keep the chard crunchier.

Red Lentil Salad

Serves 4
Lentils are said to be good luck because (you guessed it!) the round shape represents coins. Either way, we like this red lentil salad with goat cheese because it comes together in minutes. The salad can be served as a side dish, but would also work well over rice or lettuce.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup red lentils
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add in the fennel and coriander seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Set aside to cool.

Bring 1-2 cups salted water to boil. Cook the red lentils just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the lentils. Drizzle the dressing over the top. Crumble the goat cheese over the top and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a side dish or over rice or lettuce for a more substantial meal.

As we said, collard greens are said to be good luck because it represents the Benjamins. The red wine vinegar pairs nicely with the collard greens in this delicious side dish and would be great with the Hoppin’ John.

Sautéed Collard Greens

Serves 2 as a side
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth, or water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 bunch collard greens, leaves torn from stems, rinsed and roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the collard greens and broth or water. Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue cooking until the water has evaporated if needed. Remove from heat and stir in the red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

What are your favorite good luck foods to eat? Have you ever made any of these traditional New Year’s foods?

How To Add Farm Stand products to Your Delivery:
Full Circle members – head on over to our online Farm Stand Market to customize your upcoming delivery. Market is open from noon on Thursday until 6pm on your cutoff date. After you confirm your produce items, click the orange button “Confirm and Continue To Other Farm Products” to add farm products to your delivery.

Not part of our farm family? Find out if we deliver to your neighborhood.