Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Southern by both birth and breeding, Cafe Drake adores the Dixie staple of black- eyed peas, but we often find it difficult to invent new or unexpected uses for this delicious yet inflexible legume. The salad below is a true product of the frantic Pantry/Fridge Raid, and often out of such desperate measures comes everyday perfection.

With assembled ingredients this side salad can be prepared in 5 minutes - serve it beside baked fish with tomatoes, roast turkey leftovers or as a star in a vegetarian antipasto. The flavors do meld well after a long sitting, and while friendly to overnight refrigeration, try to consume within 2 days before the beans get too soggy.

BLACK-EYED PEA SALAD

2 14-oz cans of black eyed peas / 1 small red bell pepper, diced / 1/2 red onion, diced / 2 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeds and ribs left intact / 1 clove garlic, minced / 1 T. or more of lemon juice / 1/4 cup olive oil / 3 T. red wine or apple cider vinegar / 1 T. sweet chili paste (in the Asian section of your supermarket, sometimes sold more as a sauce or marinade) / 1 t. sugar

1. Toss together rinsed and well-drained peas, red pepper, onion, jalapeno, garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl.


2. Whisk together oil, vinegar, chili paste and sugar in another bowl.


3. Add dressing to pea mixture, stir carefully and allow to sit for one hour at room temperature. Chill then until cold and serve very cool.