Black-Eyed Pea Relish

Black-Eyed Peas

• 1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked 6-8 hours
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• a medium sweet onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed but intact
• a ham hock, or a ham bone, or even a big chunk of ham

1. Drain the black-eyed peas. In a skillet, saute the onion and the garlic until it starts to smell really good and soften a bit. Add the peas, stir, and cook for a few minutes until the peas become acquainted with the onion and garlic.
2. Pour the beans, onion and garlic into a large pot; add water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook about an hour until beans are tender. Fish out the onions and garlic, drain; or drain first, then fish out the onions and garlic; cool, and when ready, proceed with part 2.

Relish

• Black-eyed peas (from above)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 4 healthy-looking green onions, white part only, chopped
• 2 lovely tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup diced peppers (red and yellow are nice, but green works too. Or orange. Or all four)
• Juice from two limes, maybe 1/4 cup
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup chiffonade basil
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cara cara orange, supremed
• some chopped cilantro

1. Get a nice looking bowl and mix it all together. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Eat. Yum.