source: Ebony Magazine January 2001
Black-eyed peas:
The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea.
The common commercial variety is called the California Blackeye; it is pale-colored with a prominent black spot. The American South has countless varieties, many of them heirlooms, that vary in size from small lady peas to very large ones. The color of the eye may be black, brown, red, pink, or green. All the peas are green when freshly shelled and brown or buff when dried.
A popular variation of the black-eyed pea is the purple hull pea or mud-in-your-eye pea; it is usually green with a prominent purple or pink spot. The currently accepted botanical name for the black-eyed pea is Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, although previously it was classified in the genus Phaseolus. Vigna unguiculata subsp. dekindtiana is the wild relative and Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis is the related asparagus bean. Other beans of somewhat similar appearance, such as the frijol ojo de cabra (goat’s-eye bean) of northern Mexico, are sometimes incorrectly called black-eyed peas, and vice versa.
Ingredients
1 16-ounce can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
tortilla chips
Directions
To make this black-eyed pea salsa, combine all ingredients except tortilla chips in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
