Place the black eyes peas in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak overnight, or follow the directions on the bag for a quick soak. Drain the beans.
Place a large pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil. To the hot oil add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent.
Add the garlic and allow to cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Add the drained black eyed peas, chopped ham, and the ham bone (if using).
Cover with water and allow to simmer over medium-low heat until the beans are soft. This will take 1 to 1 1/2 hours. To check for doneness, use the back of a spoon to smash the peas against the side of the pot. They should give easily.
Remove the ham bone, stir the beans, and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste as needed. Serve warm.
Collard Greens
Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. If there is a lot of bacon fat, pour some off and save it for another day. You want about 2 tablespoons left in the pot.
Add the chopped onion to the pot with the bacon and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the prepared collards to the pot and cover with water. Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Simmer until leaves have softened, at least 1 hour. Check the seasoning and add more salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm.*If you like, you can stir the collards and beans together for an all-in-one side dish to go with your New Year's meal.
Notes
Nutrition is based on both the peas and greens mixed together.
Cook time may vary and you may need to add water to both the greens and the beans as you cook. Just keep checking the texture and the salt & pepper levels.
If you can't find prepared collard greens, you can use several bunches of the leaves and stalks that have been cleaned with stems removed and then roughly chopped. You'll need 2 bunches of collards (about 2 pounds) to yield 1.5 pounds of leaves once prepared.