Black-eyed Peas with Country Ham

Ingredients:
1 lb dried black-eyed peas
3 leeks, chopped, white parts only
2 jalepenos, chopped
1 stalk celery
1 cup diced yellow tomato*
3 cloves garlic
6 cups ham stock
8 oz country ham center slices, diced
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon hot paprika
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

*I just quartered Yellow Pear tomatoes from my garden

Directions:
The night before you want to serve the dish, place the black-eyed peas in a 4 quart slow cooker. Fill it with water. Cover and allow to sit overnight. Drain, return the black-eyed peas to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Stir. Cook on low 8-10  hrs.

My thoughts:

I know this won't come as a revelation to anyone but it is hot! Baltimore is always hot in the summer but we normally do not have so many days in a row of 100+ temperatures. I'm melting. Luckily I learned two summers ago when I was developing recipes for my cookbook that the slow cooker is a wonderful thing in the summer time, especially when it is even too hot to grill. So I made this light, brothy black-eye peas dish that is, I think, the best black-eyed peas I've ever had. It is fresh tasting rather than heavy and so simple to make. I did all the prep the day before and just added it to the slow cooker in the morning. Serve as-is or over rice.