>BTW, what kind of seasonings do yall use in blackeyed peas. I've
>always used salt pepper and oregano in mine. Just curious.
I usually use salt and pepper plus one or more of the following:
diced and sauteed celery, bell pepper, onion, and tomato;
a topping of chow-chow (Southern style with cabbage);
salsa mixed in or as a topping.
Mississippi Caviar is my favorite use for blackeyed peas and has the
advantage of an amusing title to set off interesting conversations at
social events. It is great served as a dip with baked tortilla chips or as
a salad accompanying vegan "cream" soups. I especially like to munch on
crisp romaine lettuce leaves topped with it. The recipe below was adapted
from The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso and Lukins:
Mississippi Caviar
4 c. cooked and drained blackeyed peas*
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 scallions, white bulb and 3 inches green, sliced
2 jalapeno peppers (fresh or bottled in vinegar and drained), minced
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 ts. salt
1 ts. dried thyme
1 ts. sugar
1/4 ts. Tabasco sauce
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Toss everything together in a large bowl and let it stand for several hours
(or, even better, overnight), stirring occasionally to develop the flavors.
Serve at room temperature.
*I always cook dried blackeyed peas in large batches and freeze the
leftovers in quart containers. Canned blackeyes should work, too, if they
are rinsed and drained well.
Bette (who has jonquils coming up in the yard and a goldfinch at the feeder)
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