3 c. dry black eyed peas
12 c. water
1 1/2 lb. smoked ham (cut in 2" pieces)
1 1/4 c. chopped onions
1 c. chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen cut up okra

Rinse peas. In a 6 quart Dutch oven combine water and peas. Bring to boil, simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. (Or combine water and peas, soak overnight.) Do not drain. Stir in cut up ham, onion, celery, salt and cayenne and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; cover. Simmer until ham is tender and beans are done, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in okra, cook until very tender (10-15 minutes) discard bay leaf. Season to taste. Serves 6. Note: Smoked turkey can be substituted for ham.