Southern New Year'S Day Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 lb cubed ham
1 lb lean stewing beef, cut into bite-size pieces
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
24 ounces fresh collard greens, tough stems removed & roughly chopped
frozen collard greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
salsa (chow-chow is good, too)

Preparation

Wash and pick over the dried beans. Cover with 2 inches of water and allow the beans to soak overnight.
In a stock pot, combine 2 quarts water, ham, beef, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Rinse the soaked beans and add them to the pot. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 1 hour. Add the potatoes and collards and boil for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the vegetables to the soup pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour. Salt to taste.
Optionally top each serving with a garnish of a spoonful of salsa or chow-chow.