Black-eyed Pea Salad for the New Year

Am I really going to end a four-month blogging hiatus by posting a recipe?

Yes. Yes, I am. Happy New Year.

I can eat traditionally prepared black-eyed peas, but I don't care much for them. This salad, on the other hand, I eat straight out of the bowl. I make it for my good-luck black-eyed-peas-for-New-Year's-Day dish. It's better after a day or so to let the flavors blend and settle and all, but I can't wait that long before I eat half of it by myself. Luckily, it's a great lunch. 

Black-eyed Pea Salad

One large tomato

One green bell pepper

Two green onions

Six fresh mushrooms

One garlic clove

One 8-ounce bottle of Italian dressing

Two 16-ounce cans of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

Chop the tomato. Seed and chop the bellpepper. Sliced the green onions and mushrooms. Mince the garlic. Place them all in a bowl. Stir in the peas and the Italian dressing. Cover and chill, stirring occasionally, for eight hours. 

The original recipe calls for diced celery and pimiento, which I almost never use. I don't have anything against them, I just never remember to buy them. It also says to drain the salad before serving and garnish it with more sliced green onions but I don't find it necessary. 

Oh, and I turned 40 last year. You know what that makes me? Stay tuned....