black-eyed pea salad

I have had a small bag of black-eyed peas in my pantry for quite some time. I picked them up on a whim from the bulk foods section at the grocery store, with no particular purpose in mind.

I think perhaps they were waiting for this salad.

I was browsing a greek cookbook this past weekend when a salad incorporating black-eyed peas caught my eye. The rest of the salad didn't sound great (potatoes with black-eyed peas?), but I found the idea of black-eyed peas in a salad to be inspiring. Inspiring enough for me to learn how to cook this legume that has been taking up precious cabinet space for the past few months.

I stuck with a mediterranean direction and included everything I had on hand that sounded like it would fit in. The result was a refreshing and tasty summer salad. Here's what I did:

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Serves 4

1 c. dried black-eyed peas

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 lemon cucumbers, chopped

10 kalamata olives, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley, minced

3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Simmer black-eyed peas and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan for 30-40 minutes until tender (be careful not to overcook - they go quickly from tender to mushy). Drain and rinse with cool water.

Mix black-eyed peas with other ingredients. Allow to chill in fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

One year ago: caramel pear crumble