Book of Days Tales

On this date in 1847 Liberia declared itself an independent republic. Liberia is located in west Africa with Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. Liberia began in the early 19^th century as a project of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which believed that former slaves in the U.S. would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in North America. Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born African Americans, along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia, gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity. These settlers eventually determined to be self-governing along with a number of indigenous peoples in the area.  As such, Liberia was the first modern republic to be constituted in Africa.

Here is a recipe for country bean torborgee, a cow pea stew from the Lorma people of Lofa county in the north of Liberia. You can use any meat or fish to your liking in this stew, including combinations.

Ingredients

    12 oz cooked meat (chicken, smoked meat, fish, or shellfish)

    2 lbs dried red cow peas

    ½ cup African red palm oil

    ½ tbsp sodium or potassium carbonate

    1 tsp garlic powder

    1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

    2 habañero peppers, chopped

    stock

    salt and pepper

Instructions

Soak the cow peas overnight in abundant water.

Next day, drain the cow peas, place them in a stock pot, cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook until the peas are tender.  Cooking times vary considerably depending on the type of cow peas.  2 hours is normal but can take up to 5 hours.

Drain the beans and mash them.  You can mash all of them or just some, leaving some of them whole.

Boil 2 cups of broth in a saucepan and add the beans, meat of your choice, onion, garlic powder, hot peppers, and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the palm oil and continue simmering for about 10 minutes.  Add the sodium or potassium carbonate.

Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for 10 minutes.

Serve in heated bowls with plain white rice on the side.