By New Year's 2024. The black-eyed peas, the tradition, Noah making them this year as promised — he stood at the stove and made them from memory with one check of the recipe at the beginning, and they were right. The ham hock properly incorporated, the seasoning correct, the timing patient. He served them at the table with the expression of someone who has been waiting to do this for a year and it's exactly as good as he hoped.
I said, "These are perfect." He said, "Thank you." No false modesty, no deflection. Just: thank you. That's something he didn't learn from me — I deflect constantly and my therapist would note this. He got it from somewhere else. Possibly Gary, who receives compliments cleanly. Possibly himself.
What do I want from 2024? The second book to go well. Mason to keep building toward what he knows he wants. Olivia to thrive in her second year of college. Ethan to move closer to his restaurant dream. Noah to continue being exactly who he is. Gary and I to keep taking the Friday walks. The workshops, the channel, all of it, steady and real.
And I want to write something for Grace's eighth anniversary that captures what eight years of her absence — and her presence — has done. Not for the book, not for the channel. Just for me. Just for her. The kitchen journal that has always been the truest version of this project, running alongside the public one, invisible and essential.
Eight years in January. Eight years and I'm still here, still at this stove, still feeding the people I love. She would have liked that. I know she would have liked that.
The black-eyed peas were Noah’s to make this year, and he made them perfectly — and that felt like its own kind of completion. But legumes at the New Year’s table have always meant more than one dish to me, and this butter bean salad has become the quieter companion to the tradition: something cool and bright to set alongside the warmth of the stovetop, a reminder that nourishment can be simple and still feel like enough. It’s the kind of recipe I come back to at the start of every year, when I want the food on the table to say: we are still here, we are still feeding each other, and that is everything.
Butter Bean Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) butter beans (large lima beans), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the beans. Empty both cans of butter beans into a colander, rinse well under cold water, and let drain completely. Pat gently with a paper towel if needed to remove excess moisture.
- Prepare the vegetables. Finely dice the red onion and slice the celery. Roughly chop the parsley. Add all three to a large mixing bowl along with the drained butter beans.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) until well combined.
- Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and toss gently to coat, taking care not to break up the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Rest and serve. Let the salad sit for at least 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. The salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 380mg