Good Luck Minestrone

Soak the black-eyed peas in 8 quarts of water for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Drain and rinse.

In a large stockpot, bring 8 quarts of unsalted water to a boil over medium-high heat; add the drained black-eyed peas. Cook, uncovered, about 30 minutes, or just until they are tender. Drain, rinse and set aside.

While the peas are cooking, make the minestrone's base: In a large pot over high heat, combine the turkey stock and smoked turkey necks or wings. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Strain the stock into a large bowl and set aside, discarding the solids. (Approximate yield: 10 to 12 cups of stock.)

Return the pot to the stove and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it is smoking. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaf. Tie the rosemary and thyme bunches together with kitchen twine and add them to the pot. Cook 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent but not browned.

Add the turkey stock, salt, pepper, sugar, chipotle-flavored hot pepper sauce, tomatoes with liquid and the drained black-eyed peas.

Bring to a boil, then add the greens, stirring until they have wilted. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the greens are tender.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the sausage: In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until it is smoking. Add the sausage and cook about 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring to break it into chunks. Use a slotted spoon to drain the sausage slightly and to transfer it to the soup pot for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Discard the tied herbs and bay leaf.

Portion into soup bowls and garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.