My mom always made beans to celebrate the new year. Most say that black-eyed peas with ham hocks is the traditional dish, but usually for us it was something like black beans and bacon. I blame the California influence. Whichever bean you choose, they are the perfect way to recover from the excesses of the holidays and start the year ahead fresh with humble optimism.

New Year's Day may have been last week, and I may have spent it eating take-out, but it never feels like the year is really starting until I have a good plate of beans. Things are starting to get crazy around here with all the packing and planning, so the beans were a double blessing. I simply tossed everything I could think of into our slow-cooker and let it go: in went our left-over broth and gravy from the holidays, a can of tomatoes, chopped carrots, garlic, and a cup or two each of black-eyed peas and rice. And in the time that it took for me to sort my travel toiletries and pack our fancy china, out came a hearty, simple dish, a balm for stress and a restorative for tired paletes.

Happy New Year!