Cowpea Phenomenal

Also known as black-eyed peas, southern peas, field peas and crowder peas, this flavorful legume is in fact a bean. Cowpeas are a delicious mainstay of southern cooking, the creamy texture and nutty taste adding body and soul to gumbos and stews, like the classic southern dish Hopp¡¯n John. Flourishing 2' plants impart visual and culinary appeal, with small purple-pink blooms, red-stemmed bright-green foliage and plentiful yellow pods, each packed with 12 mottled black and white beans. ¡®Phenomenal¡¯s name reflects beans¡¯ high phenolic content: a nutritional bonanza of health-boosting antioxidants, amino acids and folates. For fresh eating, pick when pods are filled with seeds; for dried beans, wait 2¨C3 weeks. Plants tolerate drought and a wide variety of soil conditions.