"After searching the net for a recipe that looked interesting and tasty for my first-time working with black eyed peas, I chose this one over many others. Though I'm certain it would have been delicious as written, my penchant for improvisation led me to tweak it somewhat as I used diced salt belly pork instead of country ham, added about two cups of potatoes, two diced green bell peppers, and also two 14.5 oz cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes.

Once I sauteed the vegetables and meat, I added the liquid, brought it to a boil and transferred everything to a crockpot where I then cooked it on high for about 2 1/2 hours. The result was fantastic and very well-received.