MHM Recipes

Ingredients List 4 cups Vegetable Stock (you can replace some or all or this with an equal amount of rough chopped tomatoes) 1 cup Marsh Hen Mill Sea Island Red Peas 1/2 Cup rough chopped tomatoes 2 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips 1 small garlic clove Combine all the ingredients except the salt in the pressure 2 fresh bay leaves (optional) 5 thyme sprigs (optional) Kosher salt Directions Soak peas overnight, then drain and rinse. Combine all the ingredients in the pressure cooker except for the salt. Lock the Lid and cook on High for 15 minutes (increase time slightly if you like your beans a bit softer) Let sit for 10 additional minutes before carefully releasing steam. Drain the peas saving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and discard garlic, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and serve. Serves 4 as a side.

Black-eyed peas, simmered with a ham bone, are a traditional New Year's Day meal. Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 2 hoursTotal Time 2 hours 10 minutesServings 6 servings Ingredients List 1 pound dried black-eyed peas 1 ham bone, ham hock or ham seasoning packet salt Directions Wash the dried beans and sort through them, removing any sediment. Place the beans in a pot and cover with water. Soak overnight. Prior to cooking, drain and rinse the beans. Return beans to pot and cover with water. Add a ham bone, ham hock, fatback or other pork for flavoring. Season with salt and pepper, about 1 teaspoon each. Bring beans to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer covered for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until beans are tender.

Refried Beans aren't exactly what comes to mind when you think of Southern Food. One of the great things, however, about supporting local farmers is that it forces you to get creative with what's available. Although similar, peas are found much more abundantly in the south than their bean counterpart. That’s why we’ve developed this easy refried red pea recipe to impress your friends on Taco Tuesday! Ingredients List 2 cups Marsh Hen Mills Red Peas 1 small yellow onion 6 cups broth (I’m using chicken broth but use whatever you have) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1.5 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin ½ tsp chili powder ½ cup lime juice Directions First, put your red peas in a large bowl and submerge them in water. You want the water to come over the peas a few inches because some of the water will be absorbed. Cover with a dish towel and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain the peas. Saute onion, garlic, and spices. In a large pot, combine your sauteed onion mixture with the peas & broth. Let simmer for 1-2 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and tender. Using a potato masher, mash the beans until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Add salt & lime juice to taste. Serve hot. Enjoy! Recipe courtesy of Charleston Chef Service.

Ingredients List ⅓ cup olive oil ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar ½ lemon, juiced 1 tbsp honey ½ tbsp minced garlic 1 cup black eye peas 2 cups diced tomato 1 cup grilled corn, off cob 1 cup, diced bell pepper 1 large avocado, fine diced ½ fine diced red onion ½ jalapeno, diced ½ cup chopped cilantro Directions In a large bowl, submerge your black eye peas and let soak overnight The next morning, drain beans and put in a sauce pot. Bring 3 cups water or broth for 1 cup of beans to a boil. Reduce to a simmer & let cook for 30 minutes or until just barely fork tender Remove from heat and set aside In a mixing bowl, add your vinegar, lemon juice, salt, oil, & any spices you’d like to include. Combine your dressing with your prepped ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Serve over shrimp & grits or with fresh tortilla chips Recipe courtesy of Charleston Chef Service.

The word gumbo has West African Roots & is historically tied to what we now know as Okra. Okra is an African ingredient brought to America during the slave era. It was used as a thickening agent for soups & stews since its natural slimy texture when cooked helped add viscosity to a dish. Ingredients List 2 pounds chicken thighs, cooked 1 package andouille sausage 1 pound shrimp 1 cup Marsh Hen Gold Rice 1 cup Marsh Hen Red Peas, cooked 2 cups broth 1 small onion, diced 1 bell pepper, diced 1 cup celery, fine chopped 1 cup carrots, fine chopped ½ cup okra, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes ½ cup oil 1.5 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp thyme Salt & pepper, to taste Directions Combine onion, garlic, carrot and celery & saute. Add broth & rice. Cover pan with lid and let simmer until rice is soft. About 15 minutes Once rice is tender, add chicken, sausage, shrimp, red peas, okra, and seasonings. Cook until everything is married together for about 20 minutes. Add more broth until desired consistency is reached. Salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy! Recipe courtesy of Charleston Chef Service.

While we might have lost most of our crop variety since the commercial adoption of monoculture, there are still some people out there trying to preserve America’s great heirloom varieties. Marsh Hen Mill, a family-owned farm on Edisto Island, SC is one of them, growing and milling their own heirloom grains like Sea Island red peas, Carolina gold rice, black eyed peas, and Blue Corn. Black-eyed peas are a heat-loving drought tolerant crop that can thrive in the rough South Carolina clay dirt. Originally from Africa, Black-eyed peas were brought to the southern United States via slavery. Since African slaves did all the cooking for their American owners, African food & traditions eventually permeated American culture. For example, The African tradition of eating these peas as a symbol of luck, wealth & prosperity was one of many that stuck. Today, southerners in the United States eat Hoppin’ John around New Years, A popular regional dish (with African roots, of course) that features Red Peas or Black-eyed peas, and for many people in the south, symbolizes - You guessed it, luck, wealth, and prosperity. Today, We’re going to honor the past and look to the future by making a dish inspired by Hoppin’ John. You can add meat to this dish if you’d like, but we find that the beans are substantial. Note: Cook your black eyed peas until just tender the night before you plan on making this dish. Leave uncovered in your refrigerator overnight. Ingredients List 1 cup cooked black eyed peas ½ cup broccoli florets ¼ cup white onion, diced ½ raw jalapeno, seeded & finely diced ½ red bell pepper, diced 1 small carrot, shredded ¼ cup purple cabbage, shredded ½ cup grilled corn ¼ cup soy sauce 1 Tbsp mirin ½ lime, juiced Pinch of paprika s&p, to taste Directions Heat oil in a large saute pan or Wok on medium heat Saute your onions until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes Add your soy sauce, mirin, and paprika and stir to combine Add your broccoli and carrots and heat through. About 3-5 minutes Add the rest of your vegetables, excluding the peas. Once everything has incorporated, add your black eyed peas and heat through Serve over Carolina gold rice, add a protein, or just enjoy as is with fresh lime juice and cilantro How to prepare Black Eyed Peas Soak 2 cups of black beans in water until fully submerged. Cover with a towel and leave overnight When ready to cook, drain & rinse the beans. Return to a pot and add 5 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce, and let simmer for 45-60 minutes or until beans reach desired texture. Once al dente, set aside and cool while preparing your stir-fry. Recipe courtesy of Charleston Chef Service.

Ingredients: 1 Cup Marsh Hen Mill Sea Island Red Peas or Black-eyed Peas Salt (to taste) Water Directions: Give the peas a good rinse. Transfer the peas to a jar or pot and cover with water and stir in the salt. Let soak overnight, up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, drain the peas and transfer to a pot. Add enough water to go about 3″ above the peas. Add salt. Bring to a boil and let cook for 15 minutes. At the 15-minute mark, reduce the heat to low so that the peas are just below a simmer.  Cook the peas until soft, about 40-45 minutes, occasionally tasting to reach the desired texture. If serving immediately, drain the peas through a fine mesh sieve and place them in a bowl. If storing, allow the peas to cool completely in their liquid, and then store in their broth in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to three months. *Cooking time may vary depending on the stove top and the conditions in the kitchen. Elevation and humidity effect cooking times.