4 Easy Dips — Starting the New Year with Black-Eyed Pea Hummus and a Little Bit of Nerve

New Year's Day. Hoppin' John. Collard greens. The tradition that does not bend and does not break. Black-eyed peas for luck, greens for money, and this year I added cornbread, which represents gold, according to a thing I read somewhere that may or may not be true but which gives me an excuse to make cornbread, so I'm keeping it.

Earl and I made it to midnight again. He fell asleep at eleven forty-five and I woke him at eleven fifty-nine, and we watched the ball drop and he said, "2018." I said, "2018." He said, "Forty-two years married this year." I said, "Lord willing." He said, "Lord's got nothing to do with it. You're too stubborn to let me go." He was joking. He was also right.

I took down the Christmas tree on Saturday. The same careful ritual — each ornament wrapped in tissue, each memory placed in its box. Michael's bell. Earl Jr.'s ball. Patricia's angel. The tree came down and the living room expanded and the house breathed. I stood in the middle of the room and looked at the empty corner where the tree was and thought about how quickly a space can change from full to empty, and how we fill it again next year anyway, because that is what hope looks like — decorating the same corner, year after year, regardless of what gets taken down.

Kayla starts her last semester next week. Her LAST semester. In May, she will graduate with a BSN and become a registered nurse, and I will be there, in the front row, standing, and Patricia or Denise or whoever is sitting beside me can try to pull me down but they will fail, because when that girl walks across that stage I am going to be on my feet. She earned it. We earned it. Michael, who isn't here to see it, earned it.

I made black-eyed pea hummus this week — a thing I saw on television that made me curious. Black-eyed peas, tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil, blended smooth. It's good, baby. It's not traditional and Hattie Pearl would have questions, but it's good, and at sixty-two I have decided that tradition is a foundation, not a cage. You build on it. You don't live inside it with the door locked.

Happy New Year. May your beans bring luck and your greens bring money and your cornbread bring gold.

Now go on and feed somebody.

When I blended those black-eyed peas smooth with tahini and lemon, I wasn’t just making a snack — I was proving something to myself: that at sixty-two, with Kayla almost across that finish line and a new year sitting right in front of us, I still have the nerve to try something I’ve never tried before. It came out so good I started thinking about what else I could do with a food processor and a little confidence, and that’s how I ended up with four dips on the table instead of one. Hattie Pearl would have questions. I’m ready for them.

4 Easy Dips (Starting with Black-Eyed Pea Hummus)

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 8—10 (about 1/4 cup per person)

Ingredients

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

• 1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 2—3 tablespoons water, to thin

Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Dip

• 1 (15 oz) can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Creamy Herb Yogurt Dip

• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Avocado and Black Bean Dip

• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For Serving

• Pita wedges, crackers, or sliced vegetables
• Cornbread squares (optional — and highly recommended)

Instructions

1. Make the black-eyed pea hummus. Add the black-eyed peas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt to a food processor. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of paprika.
2. Make the roasted red pepper and white bean dip. Combine all ingredients in the food processor (no need to wash between dips) and blend until smooth. Season to taste. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and red pepper flakes if using.
3. Make the creamy herb yogurt dip. Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl — no blender needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve; it improves after 20 minutes.
4. Make the spicy avocado and black bean dip. Mash the avocados in a bowl until mostly smooth (leave a little texture). Fold in the black beans, lime juice, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, garlic powder, and salt. Taste and adjust. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to keep it from browning if not serving immediately.
5. Arrange and serve. Set all four dips out with pita, crackers, or vegetables. Label them if you have company who might ask questions. Serve at room temperature — they all taste best when they’re not straight out of the refrigerator.

Nutrition (per serving, based on 1/4 cup black-eyed pea hummus)

Calories: 110 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 180mg