Longing for a Summer Bounty

January and Black-eyed peas just seem to go together--who could make it through New Year's Day without black-eyed peas and greens? Well, I did this year, but I'm hoping that my neglect of this age-old southern tradition doesn't truly predict the possibility for good luck and financial stability in the coming year.

Even though black-eyed peas are good at any time of the year, there's nothing like freshly-shelled peas from the local market. Don't send 'em cross country to me; I want them out of Farmer Fred's deep-south garden.

As I was preparing black-eyed pea cakes earlier this week, I waxed nostalgic about the few days every summer my mother, sister, and Mrs. Holsomback (our wandering neighbor) sat on the front porch shelling bushels of peas and beans. Mrs. Holsomback provided all of the juicy gossip about the whole neighborhood and as she moved on down the street, I'm sure my dysfunctional family became the focus of that gossip. I hated shelling and "putting up" all those vegetables and found every way possible to get out of the tedious chore. But, as a 7 year old girl, Mrs. Holsomback's independence, her laughter, and her stories enthralled me enough to endure those sweltering afternoons.

Black-eyed Pea Cakes
Tomato Chutney
Baked Sweet Potato "Fries"
Simple Green Salad

Black-eyed Pea Cakes
Recipe by P. Allen Smith

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
2 15.5-ounce cans of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
4 ounces of chevre (creamy goat cheese)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tbsp. olive oil for sauteing onion
olive oil for cooking cakes

Instructions

To begin, sauté the chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the onion is clear.
While the onions are sautéing, make your breadcrumbs by processing stale bread in a food processor or blender. I like to use day-old French bread. You want the crumbs to be coarse, but not too large.
Combine the sautéed onion, 1 can of the black-eyed peas, egg, salt, garlic, hot sauce, flour , chevre, and parsley in a food processor. Process the ingredients until well combined, but not too smooth.

Scoop the mixture into a large bowl and fold in the other can of peas and 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Stir gently. The mixture will be somewhat sticky.
Form the pea mixture into 3 inch cakes about 1/2-inch thick. The mixture will be somewhat sticky, but if you find that it is too much so just add a few more breadcrumbs.

Dip each cake into the remaining 1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs, coating both sides. Shake off any excess and place the cake on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
Once you have made cakes out of all the mixture, cover them and place them in the refrigerator to chill for about half an hour. This step will help the cakes stay together when you cook them.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive in a skillet over a medium flame. I used a 9 inch skillet. Fit as many of the cakes as you can into the skillet without crowding and cook until golden brown and crispy. This should take about 5 minutes on each side. You really only get one chance to flip these cakes because they are delicate and crumble easily so be sure to allow them to brown thoroughly on each side. Reduce the heat if they brown too quickly. You can add more oil if the skillet becomes dry.
As the cakes finish cooking, place them on a cookie sheet in a slightly warm oven until they are all done and you are ready to serve.

Tomato Chutney-A variation of “Mum’s Tomato Relish”

My husband's grandmother, Feamey or "Mum", made a delicious southern tomato relish every summer. Homegrown, ripe tomatoes are an absolute necessity for the real deal. Not having any fresh ripe tomatoes on hand, I concocted a substitute. It works, but I can't wait til summer to make the proper version.

Two 15 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
One medium onion, or ½ large onion, very thinly sliced (a mandoline would work well)
½ cup water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup sugar ( adjust to taste-there should be a good balance between sweet and sour).
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, (or other such as sherry, red-wine)
1 tablespoon Tamarind paste (optional)
1 tablespoon “whole Pickling Spices”, (I like to place them in washed cheesecloth, tied with string for easy removal)
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
A few grinds of black pepper

1. Start by caramelizing the onions. Melt butter and olive oil in 2 qt saucepan. Add onions and cook on low heat for approx 15 minutes. Don’t let them brown too quickly. Add a pinch of salt (1/2 tsp), 1 tsp sugar, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Cook for another 15 minutes until nicely browned.
2. Add tomatoes, pickling spice bouquet, 1 tsp salt, red-pepper flakes, black pepper, and tamarind. Add remaining sugar and vinegar. Add ½ cup water. Stir to combine.
3. Bring to a low simmer, and cook for at least 45 minutes, longer if you have the time. Add more water as needed. The longer the cooking time, the more flavorful the chutney. Especially if you use tamarind paste, you may need to add more sugar, a little at a time, to balance the tartness of the vinegar and tamarind.
4. Serve warm or cold as a condiment for peas (blackeyed, field, crowder, lady peas, etc), lima beans, or anything you think needs a little spice and flavor.
5. Makes about two cups.
6. Keeps for a week in the fridge. Can be preserved. Can be frozen, but not as tasty as fresh or “canned”.


Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Serves two.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

One large sweet potato, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste (1/2 to ¾ tsp)
1 teaspoon Moroccan Spice Blend (recipe follows)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Cut sweet potato as you would for making French fries—about a ¼ inch.
2. Toss with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper
3. Place on cookie sheet so that the slices are not touching
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
5. Using a spatula, flip to other side (make sure to keep fries separated) and cook for another 10-12 minutes.
Serve immediately, as fries cool quickly.

Moroccan Spice Blend

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix together in a bowl, save in airtight container and will last as other commercial spices.