Black-eyed Pea Salad/alsa

One of the blogs I read is called Life at Quail Hollow. The site features, among other things, distinctly Southern recipes. Recently one of the recipes caught my eye, a recipe for Black-eyed Pea Salad. Any leftovers, the recipe claimed, could be served like Salsa. Since all my past experience with Black-eyed peas resulted in dishes served hot with spices distinctly Indian, I was happy to try a new direction.

If you want to see the original recipe, here it is. In the original, the first ingredient is a gallon-size can of Black-eyed peas and the recipe serves 40+. I always improvise a bit when I cook. What you'll find here is a derivation from the Quail Hollow salad, but the result is still yummy and works well whether as a salad or (take Matthew's word for it) as a salsa.



Black-eyed Pea Salad/alsa

1 lb dry black-eyed peas

Soak overnight if you can, but pre-soaked or not, put them in a pot, cover with water and boil until they are soft. When they're done drain and rinse well, toss them with the following things (which you can prepare while the peas cook):

1 11oz. can vacuum packed corn kernels
2 14oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 c. chopped red onion
1 t garlic powder
1 4oz. can diced green chiles
2 T lemon juice

In a small bowl, wisk together the following ingredients:
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 t ground mustard
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Pour this over the pea/vegetable/chile mixture, toss well. Chill 8-12 hours to allow flavors to bloom. I don't know how many servings this makes, but it filled a big stew pot at my house. 12? 15 maybe?