Jalapeno Black-eyed Pea Salad

 

Jalapeno Black-eyed Pea Salad

While Black-eyed Peas are more typically associated with New Year's Day and New Year's Day really being the National Black-eyed Pea Day in most of the South, I couldn't wait another six months for one of my favorite dishes! And for the warmer summer months, a little mix & match of recipes has yielded a great little side dish or side salad, depending on your preference. This recipe is a good 'make ahead' dish to minimize your work effort.

Eating Black-eyed Peas on New Year's Day, according to Southern folklore, brings luck and prosperity for the coming year. And, you can find a literal truck load of recipes for Black-eyed Peas. Black-eyed Peas can be somewhat of a misnomer for some folks, since they are technically legumes, a.k.a. beans, and a lot of folks think "peas" are vegetables. Both are correct, at least from what I've read. If you care to know more, click here: Black-eyed Pea or here: Are Black-eyed Peas really peas?

Looking at a number of my previous posts, you can tell I like things a tad spicy! And in more ways than one.   Our little community Rainbow Club was having its annual Bar B Que in June and I needed to bring a couple of side dishes. Now considering that we live in a 55+ retirement community, most of our members are well past 55 - by 10, 20, 30, 40 years! Yes, we have several in that 40+ year range. Well, my "better half" thought that the Jalapeno Black-eyed Pea Salad would be a little too spicy for this crowd. Not wanting to brag - but I will -, it appeared that when the event was over the bowl had been licked clean! So, simply "adjust" your spice level by the amount and type of jalapeno's you use in the recipe. Typically, for me, smaller jalapeno's tend to have a bit more heat and especially jalapeno's that have turned red.  For this preparation I purchased two larger peppers at the market, skipping my home grown, small peppers, which I already knew had a powerful kick. Are you ready to Kick Up your Black-eyed Pea Salad...

Let's Try It!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. vinegar (You can use your favorite, such as balsamic, white wine, regular. I used white wine.)
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 15 oz. cans black-eyed peas, rinsed & drained (You could use frozen, thawed, rinsed, but canned is a bit quicker.)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium sweet onion (I used Vidalia.)
• 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded & chopped, or to taste
• lettuce leaves for serving, optional

Preparation:

1. Prepare peppers, onions, jalapeno's and place in medium to large mixing bowl. Give everything a couple of good stirs to combine.

2. Prepare black-eyed peas and add to remaining vegetable mixture, stirring to combine. 

3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar & sugar. Pour over vegetable mixture stirring to combine. 

4. Transfer salad to your favorite serving dish, cover and refrigerate for approximately 5 hours. Stir well before serving. Serve as a side dish or salad using one/two lettuce leaves for a little garnish!

Now remember, they "licked the bowl clean"! Enjoy this Jalapeno Black-eyed Pea Salad with your favorite grilled dish for these warm summer months.

 

Song: My Whiskey Years, by Joe Nichols

Enjoy! WildWSS outta here!