Place the country ham in the bottom of a large container and fill it with water. Place the container in the refrigerator and let sit for 24-36 hours. Then remove the ham, pour out the water, and clean the container. Put the ham back back in the container and fill with water. Bring the water to a near boil, reduce the heat, and cook for several hours on simmer until the ham is completely tender. Remove the ham. You should now be able to remove the rind, which is inedible. Put the ham in an oven which is preheated to 350 degrees F. and cook until it is hot.

This tasty ham now awaits your pleasure.

Or cowpeas, are native to Asia. The peas are the seed of a somewhat vining plant. They can be prepared from fresh, frozen, or dried peas.
 

Preparing dried peas for cooking: Heat a pot of water to boiling. In the meantime, pick out discolored peas from a one pound package. Put the peas in a wire sieve and wash them in the boiling water. Drain the peas.
 

Cooking: Choose a pot which will allow you the cover the peas with plenty of water. Place a slice of cured ham or picnic ham in the bottom of the pot. Add the peas and cover well with water. Bring to a boil for one minute, remove from heat and let stand for one hour. Add hot water when the top of the peas are no longer covered. Cover and bring the peas to a boil and cook at a slow boil until they are completely tender, (1 - 1 1/2 hours), but not mushy. Add water as needed during cooking. Serve hot with buttered cornbread.
Fresh or frozen peas are cooked in a similar manner, but of course they do not require soaking.

Lima Beans are not exclusively southern, but they are probably the most popular bean in many parts of the South. They can be prepared from fresh, frozen, or dried beans. Prepare and cook them like black-eyed peas. They may require more cooking time.

COLLARDS are a type of kale. The young tender, but usually large leaves of the plant are cooked and eaten as a greens dish. They are richer in calcium and vitamin C than spinach, and they rival spinach as a rich source of vitamin A. Popeye might fare better healthwise if he varied his diet a little and ate some collard greens. Collards are frequently eaten with PEPPER SAUCE, which is made by pickling hot green cayenne peppers in vinegar.
Collards are not exclusively a southern dish. In The New York Times Cook Book, James Beard lists it as one of the dishes in Brazil's multipart national dish Feijoada. Nevertheless, they do not cook them the southern way.
Collards can be prepared from a fresh or frozen product.

Collard greens taste best after they have been bitten by frost.

Place 1 1/2 quarts water in large pot. Add red pepper and ham hocks and boil while preparing greens. To prepare greens, discard damaged or yellow parts of leaves. Cut away tough stems from each leaf and wash collards thoroughly until rinse water is clear of dirt and grit. Fold each leaf in half at its center vein, fold over once or twice then cut in half with scissors or a knife. Add remaining ingredients to meat in boiling water, then the greens. Cover and cook rapidly for about 1/2 hour until greens are tender but firm.

Turnip Greens are the young leaves of a variety of southern grown turnips. They are prepared, cooked, and served like collards. They are a little less nutritious than collards.

Poke Sallet is the cooked young shoots of the pokeweed plant, Phytolacca decandra, which is a member of the pink family. This perennial plant grows wild in the eastern States and may reach a height of 8-10 feet. When pokeweed is cooked, it resembles spinach and tastes like asparagus. It is a nutritious greens dish. The roots of this plant contain a poison. Rural people claimed that pokeweed greens were poisonous unless cooked with lots of lard, but this is not documented scientifically.
Poke sallet may now be more of a dish of tradition than anything else. Many southerners would probably not recognize pokeweed growing in the wild.

More Information on Poke Sallet

Sweet Potatoes are the roots of a vine which is a member of the morning glory family. The plant is native to tropical America. Sweet potatoes are frequently, but incorrectly, called yams. In the South, sweet potatoes are eaten baked, candied, in pies, casseroles, and other dishes. They are tasty, rich in vitamin A, and are a good source of vitamin C.

Blackberries and Dewberries grow on a bramble which is a member of the rose family. At one time, wild blackberries grew in abundance , and they were a staple fruit in the diet of farm families. Now most blackberries are grown as cultivated varieties which are usually seedless. If you can find them, the wild berries are still the tastiest. They are used to make jams, jellies, preserves, and fabulous cobblers. They are more nutritious than blueberries.

Dewberries are similar to blackberries and are used for the same purposes as blackberries. They have never been as common as blackberries.

Okra is a member of the hibiscus family and is native to Africa, where it is still a major vegetable crop. According to some sources, it was first introduced into the West Indies by slave ships, and from there to New Orleans and Charleston by the same means. The West African name is nkruma, which sounded like "okra" to the English. The French thought it sounded like gombaut, and this is the source of the word "gumbo".
The okra plant grows tall and has large showy flowers. The seed of the plant grows in a pod. The young, tender green pods are extensively used as a nutritious vegetable. Okra is served fried, boiled, mixed with other vegetables, or in soups and gumbos.

Muscadines are a type of wild grapes. Although they are still prized in the South, they have never been as important as blackberries. The vine climbs into trees and spreads out along the tree limbs. The vines may become enormous, and may be a nuisance in wooded yards. The fruit is a large grape which has a thick skin and a strong taste whose flavor does not resemble that of other grapes. Muscadines are used to make jellies, jams, preserves, and wine. The preserves, which include the whole grape except for the seeds, are very tasty.
Today, most muscadines are of the cultivated variety.

Watermelons grow on a sprawling vine which is a member of the gourd family. It is native to Africa where it probably has been cultivated for at least 4000 years. The flesh of the melon is sweet, very juicy, and is usually red (although it is sometimes yellow). It is moderately nutritious. Southerners grow and consume vast quantities of these melons, which are large and may weigh up to 50 pounds. The rinds are sometimes used to make preserves or pickles.