I’d have to give back my “Native Southerner” card if I didn’t eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck.

Without fail my mom served them up every January 1 while I was growing up. Typically they were fresh peas acquired from the Dallas Farmer’s Market shortly after the harvest in the fall and laid away in her freezer. She simmered them on the stove with bacon and a little salt and pepper which is the traditional way to serve them. Yum.

I’d eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day whether they brought good luck or not.

But hey, if these little legumes can bring good luck on the first day of the year why limit their consumption to only that one day?

I eat them year round and they’re especially good served up in a non-traditional, spiced up way.

Give this recipe a try with your leftover black-eyed peas this week.

Marinated Rice, Black-Eyed Pea, and Corn Salad

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
2 cups cooked corn kernels
6 green onions thinly sliced
2-3 pickled jalapenos, minced
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon unsulphured dark molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ to 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

In a large bowl, combine the rice, black-eyed peas, corn, onions, and jalapenos. In a lidded jar, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour them over the rice mixture. Refrigerate the salad, covered at least 2 hours, preferably twice that long. The salad keeps well for several days.

Sandra’s Kitchen Notes:

• You can find this recipe in Texas Home Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.
• This recipe is a little top-heavy on the rice. Next time I make it, I’d use 1-1 ½ cups.
• I’d increase the black-eyed peas by about a ¼ cup.
• I used 2 fresh jalapenos instead of the pickled ones.

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