Pesto Shrimp with Saffron Hominy Grits and Slow-Simmered Cherry Tomatoes
What happens when shrimp and grits take a trip to Italy: saffron, pesto, and slow-simmered cherry tomatoes meet buttery, comforting hominy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rancho Gordo Black-Eyed Peas with Easter Ham (Leftovers Remix)
Turning one good meal into another
There’s something satisfying about stretching a meal into something new.
Easter ham was great. But this—this is better.
A leftover ham bone, a pot of Rancho Gordo black-eyed peas, and a little patience turn into something rich, smoky, and deeply comforting. The kind of meal that feels like it’s been cooking all day… because it has.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Rancho Gordo Black-Eyed Peas (no need to soak)
- 1 leftover ham bone (with some meat on it)
- 1–2 cups diced ham (from the bone, reserved) (Wegman’s Celebration Brown Sugar Ham preferred)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp chile powder (optional)
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Salt + pepper
- 8 cups water or light stock
Finishes
- Sliced scallions
- hot sauce (Crystal or Cholula preferred)
Prep Note: Save the Good Stuff
Before the bone goes in, slice off some of the thicker pieces of ham and set them aside.
The bone builds the broth.
The meat is for later.
Rancho Gordo Black-Eyed Peas Start with a Simple Base
Butter and olive oil in the pot.
Then onion, celery, carrot, cabbage, red pepper, and sliced garlic. Creole seasoning and a couple bay leaves.
Cover it and let it cook down until everything softens and starts to come together.
This is where the flavor begins.
The Ham Bone Builds the Broth
Add your Rancho Gordo black-eyed peas and drop in the ham bone.
Cover with at least 8 cups water and bring it up to a simmer.
This is where everything changes.
The broth starts to take on that deep, smoky richness. You’re not doing much anymore—just letting time do its thing.
Let the Rancho Gordo Beans Come Together
Two hours in, everything softens.
The beans turn creamy. The vegetables melt into the broth.
The ham bone has done its job.
Pull it out and discard it along with the spent meat clinging to it.
In a separate pan, warm some diced ham with a splash of water.
Fold it back in or use it as a garnish.
Now it’s a meal.
Serve Over Carolina Gold Rice and Finish Bright
Spoon it over Carolina Gold rice.
Finish with a splash of hot sauce and a handful of sliced scallions.
That little hit of acid at the end brings everything into focus.
This is why I love cooking like this.
Not complicated. Not fussy. Just building something good, step by step.
One meal turning into another.
That’s enough.
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