Community Cookbook

1 can, 15-1/2 oz, black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 medium red pepper, diced

1 bunch of scallions, white portion and part of green, thinly sliced

1 to 2 Tbsp of finely diced jalepeno peppers and juice (start with 1 Tbsp and add more to taste)

Dressing: 4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Black pepper & salt to taste.

Whisk dressing, pour over solids and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Note from Mary: I’ve been making this salad for many years without a formal recipe. This is what has evolved as my version. For a long time, no one I knew seemed to have ever heard of "Texas caviar," but in recent years I’ve started to see it on salad bars and elsewhere. Last year I was browsing on the Internet one evening and found "Texas Caviar" in an on-line cookbook from Threadgill’s, a famous traditional restaurant in Austin, TX. Evidently this dish has been around quite some time.