Peas for Prosperity Signature Seasonal Recipe Series – Welcome Virginia Willis

Holiday 2010 Signature Seasonal Recipe: Black-eyed Pea and Ham Hock Soup by Virginia Willis

Peas for Prosperity is excited to announce our new Signature Seasonal Recipe Series.  Each season, we will feature a signature Black-eyed Pea recipe from one of our favorite chefs.  In return for the recipe, we will donate 5% of the proceeds to the chef’s charity of choice.

We are honored and thrilled to announce our first chef, Virginia Willis!  Virginia is a Southern bred, French-trained chef, television producer, food stylist, cooking teacher, and food writer.  She is the author of the acclaimed cookbook Bon Appétit, Y’all! Recipes and stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2008).  She has graciously agreed to share her Black-eyed Pea and Ham Hock Soup recipe and let me tell you, it is delicious!

I have been secretly admiring Virginia, her “refined Southern” style of cooking, and her gorgeous cookbook since I started this project last year.  I just love the name, Bon Appétit, Y’all!, Virginia’s way of saying, “Welcome to my Southern Kitchen. Pull up a chair”.  Yep, that’s how we do it in the South!  You can imagine my excitement when she contacted me on Twitter and asked to send me her cookbook!  Little ol’ me? Yes, please!  I was even more excited when she agreed to be our first Signature Chef.  Virginia is a true Southern gem – we can’t thank you enough Virginia!

Virginia is currently working on her third cookbook Basic to Brilliant, Y’all: Recipes and Recollections of a Southern Culinary Journey and has just released a collection of Southern specialty food items called My Southern Pantry.  These Southern staples include:  Heirloom Grits, Pecan Brownies Mise en Place, French Quarter Spice Rub, and Pecan Smoked Salt.  I’m dying to get my hands on some of that Salt!

In honor of Virginia, Peas for Prosperity will donate 5% of the profits from all Holiday sales to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.  We partnered with the ACFB last year and are thrilled to work with them again.  Want to see Virginia’s recipe?  Well, you gotta order some Peas!

Many Thanks Virginia!