Hoppin' John (Black-Eyed Peas and Rice)

From the garden

• 1½ cups dried black-eyed peas (southern peas), rinsed and picked over — no soak needed; freshly shelled garden peas cook in about half the time
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 green onions, sliced, for serving

From the pantry

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1¼ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• hot sauce — for serving
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Cook the chopped bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat 5–6 minutes until browned and its fat has rendered. Leave the bacon and drippings right in the pot — they season everything.
2. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper with a pinch of salt and cook 5–6 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes for the last minute, until fragrant.
3. Add the black-eyed peas and stock, bring to a boil, then drop to a gentle simmer. Cook partially covered 45–60 minutes, until the peas are tender and creamy but still holding their shape — dried peas vary, so start tasting at 40 minutes. Fresh shelled peas need only 25–30.
4. While the peas simmer, cook the rice: 1.25 cups rice with 2 cups salted water in a covered pot, 15 minutes on low, then rest off the heat 5 minutes and fluff.
5. Fish out the bay leaf and thyme stems, season the peas well with salt and black pepper, and simmer uncovered a few minutes if you want the potlikker thicker. Serve ladled over the rice with sliced green onions and hot sauce at the table.