Hoppin’ John

Ingredients:
1 cup dry black eyed peas
1/2 cup brown rice (dry)
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
6 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
grated cheddar cheese for serving
for tomato hot pepper relish—
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped (be careful, wash your hands and don’t touch your face while handling this hot pepper!)
pinch of salt

Directions:
Soak the black eyed peas overnight in water. In the morning, drain the water, add fresh water (about two inches above peas) and bring to a boil. Cover pot (leaving an inch open) and simmer for about one hour, until peas are tender. Drain and set peas aside.
Cook the rice in 1 1/2 cups water. When done, fluff with a fork and combine with the peas in a large bowl.
Top the peas and rice with the sliced green onions and chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the relish, combine all ingredients. It shouldn’t be runny so you might need to add a little more or a little less mayonnaise to produce desired thick sauce consistency.
Serve hoppin’ john in bowls topped with relish and freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese. YUM!!

Time:
1 hour (doesn’t include time to soak and cook the peas—I always make this dish the day before I plan to serve it!)

Source: http://www.eatliverun.com