This post is kindly sponsored by Village Farms, but all opinions are 100% my own.

We are nearing the end of the year and I cannot believe how quickly this holiday season has passed by!  It seems like every year I look so forward to the holidays and in a blink of an eye, they disappear!  Luckily we still have New Year’s to celebrate before heading into 2019 which is why I partnered with my friends at Village Farms to bring you two recipes to enjoy during your celebrations!  My refreshing Cucumber Rosemary Gimlet is the cocktail you are going to want to sip on during your New Year’s Eve festivities and my hearty One-Dish Black Eyed Pea Stew is the perfect dish to cook up on New Year’s Day!  These two recipes are easy to make, full of flavor, and you are going to want to make them year after year!

While you are enjoying the company of your family and friends, ring in the New Year with one of my Cucumber Rosemary Gimlets made with Village Farms Luscious Seedless Long English Cucumber® and skip the sugary champagne this year!  This cocktail is mixed up with delicious fresh cucumber juice, lime juice, gin, and a rosemary simple syrup and just so happens to be as stunning as it is delicious!  You will love this healthier cocktail swap and you can be sure your guests will too!

The next day you can recover from a possible rowdy evening with my hearty Black Eyed Pea Stew, made extra special with Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes mixed right in and used in a tangy tomato relish topping. This will be your new favorite way to embrace tradition!  In Texas, we believe that on New Year’s Day you should eat ham, black eyed peas, and greens for a little luck and this dish combines all of those components into one easy and tasty dish! 

I used these tomatoes twice in this recipe because they are so hearty, sweet and delicious! First the tomatoes get cooked in with the stew while it simmers on the stove, and then I top off the stew with a fresh tomato relish that adds just the right amount of tang to each bite! This recipe is so good in fact that my husband requested I make this dish more than just for a New Year’s Day dinner!

I was able to grab all of these simple ingredients right at my favorite Texas grocery store, H-E-B for a one-stop shop!  I can’t wait for you to give both of these recipes a try because I know you are going to love them and so will all of your friends and family! 

Black Eyed Pea Stew:

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Dried Black Eyed Peas (that have been soaked overnight)

• 10 Oz. Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes, diced 

• 1 Bundle of Collard Greens

• Ham Hock

• 1 Onion

• 3 Garlic Cloves

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 6 Cups Chicken Stock

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Tomato Relish-

• 10 Oz. Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes, diced small

• 1/4 Cup Finely Diced Onion

• 1 Tbsp. Peppercorns

• 1 Tbsp. Salt

• 1 Tbsp. Sugar

• 1 Cup Vinegar

Directions:

• Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add oil.

• Add ham hocks and brown on all sides.

• Remove the ham hocks from the pan and set aside.

• Add diced onion, garlic, and bay leaf.  

• Season with salt and pepper and sauté until onion is transclucent.

• Add in Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes at this time and scrape up any bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan.  Season again with salt and pepper.

• Add in black eyed peas at this time and cover with chicken stock.  Stir to combine and then add ham hocks back into the stew.

• Add in collard greens at this time, slowly wilting them into the stew.

• Season again with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

• Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook 3-4 hours until beans are tender and meat is falling apart.

• Taste test for salt and pepper and then serve with tomato relish.

For the relish-

• Combine Village Farms Heavenly Villagio Marzano® tomatoes, onion, peppercorns, salt, sugar, and vinegar in a large mason jar and stir to fully coat. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes but up to overnight.

Rosemary Cucumber Gimlet:

Ingredients:

• 3 Sprigs of Rosemary + Extra for Garnish

• 2 Village Farms Seedless Cucumbers

• 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice

• 1/4 Cup Sugar

• 1/4 Cup Water

• 3 Oz. Gin

Directions:

• Make rosemary simple syrup by combining sugar, water, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir until sugar dissolves and then turn off heat and let steep for 10 minutes.  Remove rosemary sprigs and chill.

• In a blender combine cucumbers (ends cut off), lime juice, 2 oz. of simple syrup and gin and blend until smooth.

• Strain the mixture and pour over ice into two glasses.

• Garnish with fresh limes, rosemary, and cucumber slices.

Cheers to very happy New Year and to a fantastic 2019 friends!