Tomato parfaits? Last of the garden yield hops right into these treats

The last few tomatoes of summer just had to have a worthy adios. I had pledged to save this recipe for the next time I needed an inventive New Year’s Day black-eyed pea recipe, but the tomato topping just begged for this to be a summer recipe. Just before the last of our tomato vines were pulled up, we found a few remainders of the red fruit. Into this recipe for Hoppin’ John Parfaits they went.

How cute! Layers of black-eyed peas, rice, a tomato-green onion-celery salsa mix, turkey bacon bits, and pepper Jack cheese all stacked up in a parfait glass. This parfait wasn’t a dessert at all but was a lively entree, although it just as easily could have been a salad or a side.

So long, tomatoes (although we well may plant a fall installment after the drought leaves us). High produce prices spawned by the national weather nightmare may drive a lot more folks to grow their own this fall. Hoppin’ John Parfaits helped create a noteworthy parting for our summer crop.

Hoppin’ John Parfaits

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

3 bacon slices (I used turkey bacon)

1 cup chopped sweet onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 (15.8-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup water

1 large tomato, finely chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese

Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon and drain it on paper towels. In skillet reserve 1 tablespoon drippings. Crumble bacon. Sauté onion and jalapeno pepper in hot drippings for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned; stir in black-eyed peas and 1 cup water. Reduce heat to medium and simmer; stir occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes, or until liquid has almost completely evaporated. 

In a small bowl stir together tomato and next 5 ingredients. Layer black-eyed pea mixture, hot cooked rice, and tomato mixture in 12 (7-ounce) glasses. Top with cheese and crumbled bacon. (Source: Southern Living April 2012)

Black-Eyed Pea Salad—what could bring better luck in the new year?

They were a “must” to be prepared, of course—the requisite black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year’s Day. I had saved a Southern Living recipe from last year and thought it was just perfect for getting the deed accomplished in a tasty way.

Assembling it was no trouble, but rounding up one of the ingredients involved a small marathon. Red-pepper jelly was one of the main parts of the marinade; our standby Kroger didn’t seem to have it. Hubby pawed around in the traditional jams-and-jellies aisle, the international foods aisle, and the health-foods aisle. He called over the manager, which he never hesitates to do when he needs help. He even encountered a neighbor who makes delicious jalapeno salsa with some of the peppers from our garden. No one seemed to know where to get red-pepper or even jalapeno jelly.

Thankfully the good ole Internet let our fingers do the walking. Hubby tippy-typed a question about where to purchase red-pepper jelly in our area. He was directed to the Wal-Mart that was on our way to pick up our grandbaby who was our New Year’s Eve charge. Hubby walked into the store and immediately spotted the red-pepper jelly—tons of it—on the jams-and-jellies aisle. He didn’t even have to scour the store. What a nod to technology!

The recipe itself was immensely simple and merely involved marinating cooked black-eyes, red onions, cilantro, red bell pepper (although I used yellow bell pepper since I had it on hand), red-pepper jelly, red-wine vinegar, and cut-up jalapeno for about eight hours and then tossing in two diced peaches and some shredded spinach just before serving. The salad recipe definitely was a suggestion worth saving for an entire year. Sweet, tangy, and unusual, this pea salad was a great way to take care of that New Year’s tradition. Even little grandboy ate a morsel—a lucky 2012 is guaranteed for him!

I may not wait until New Year’s 2013 to prepare Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad again. This is a great salad side for any important occasion.

Lucky Black-Eyed Pea Salad

1 (16-ounce) package frozen black-eyed peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup red-pepper jelly

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup diced red onion

2 large fresh peaches, peeled and diced

2 cups torn watercress (I subbed shredded spinach, which I had on hand)

Prepare peas according to package direction. Simmer them only until tender; drain and let cool 1 hour. Whisk together cilantro and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add cooked black-eyed peas, bell pepper, and onion, tossing to coat, and cover and chill for 8 hours. Stir peaches and watercress (or spinach) into pea mixture just before you serve. Makes 6 servings.

Way-unusual pea cakes pack the protein with fresh veggies on the side

Can anything good emerge from a can? When garden fresh tomatoes and homemade slaw form an accompaniment to what a canned good yields, certainly good things happen. This recipe sounded so weird, it lured me to try it just to see what turned up. Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Heirloom Tomatoes and Slaw—has anybody except the staff of Southern Living magazine, source of this unusual dish in its August 2011 issue, ever heard of such a thing?

Well, Hubby and I have now. Over the weekend we took the plunge and now are great appreciators of this terrific menu item. Hubby even poured sugar-free syrup on his pea cakes; I can’t say I went that far (the finished product amounted to a cross between pancakes and cornbread), but I definitely enjoyed them, especially when I piled on tomatoes (we used Roma instead of beefsteak tomatoes) and the slaw (recipe calls for fresh broccoli slaw, but I still had some of the slaw left from the Lemon-Apple Coleslaw from a few days back, so I stuck with it. (But below I’ll reprint the original recipe with the broccoli slaw instructions included.)

I just loved the black-eyed pea cakes, that look like pancakes but are much more substantial—a dish straight out of the South.

Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Tomatoes and Slaw

1 (15-ounce) can seasoned black-eyed peas, undrained

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 (6-ounce) package buttermilk cornbread mix (I used Betty Crocker brand)

1 large egg, lightly beaten (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons Southwest chipotle salt-free seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash brand)

1 teaspoon salt, divided (or salt substitute)

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 (12-ounce) package fresh broccoli slaw

2 large heirlooom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I subbed Roma tomatoes)

Coarsely mash peas with fork. Stir in garlic, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until blended. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter for each cake onto a hot, lightly-greased griddle. Cook cakes for 2 minutes or until edges look dry and cooked; turn and cook 2 more minutes. Stir together 1/3 cup sour cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in broccoli slaw. Place each cooked cake on a serving plate; top each with tomato slices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with slaw; serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.