You'd have to cut down the size of the recipe but this could work as a salad.

BLACK EYED PEA AND HAM SALAD (20 servings)

1 ½ lbs. black-eyes peas
2 medium onions, peeled
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ¾ lbs. smoked ham, cut into ¼" cubes
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
Oil and vinegar dressing (below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ cups diced seeded tomatoes

Soak peas over night or by quick-soak method; drain. Place peas, onions, carrots and garlic in a 6-qt. pot. Add water to cover by at least 2 inches and bring to boil. Lower heat immediately and simmer until peas are tender but not mushy, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove vegetables and set aside. Drain peas, discarding any visible shells.

Cut onions and carrots into fine dice. Mash or finely chop garlic. Mix these ingredients with the drained peas. Add the ham, parsley, hot pepper sauce and dressing and season with salt & pepper. Stir gently to distribute dressing. Refrigerate until well chilled, overnight if desired. When ready to serve, gently stir in diced tomatoes.

OIL AND VINEGAR DRESSING

½ cup good-quality olive oil
6 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 ½ tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. whole-grain prepared mustard
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 ½ Tbs. fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. dried oregano

Mix all ingredients together with whisk and let garlic marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove garlic and pour over salad.

There's always "Hoppin' John"...

1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 pound spicy bulk pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups beef broth, homemade or canned
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups long-grained rice

In a large saucepan, bring the peas and water to a boil over high heat. Boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let stand for 1 hour. (Or in a large bowl, combine the peas with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches, and let stand overnight at room temperature.) Drain well.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat, stirring often to break up the sausage, until it loses its raw look, about 10 minutes. Pour off all excess fat.

Add the drained peas, water, and red and white peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

Meanwhile, bring the beef broth, butter, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff the rice and transfer it to a deep serving bowl.

Pour the peas over the rice, mix well, and serve immediately.

[Or do without the rice and use this as a side to eggs, grits, biscuits.]

Joe

Have you ever made black eyed pea cakes? Like crab cakes, only using black eyed peas. There are a number of recipes out there. I top mine with peach salsa or mango salsa or a spicy aioli. I found that they need to be refrigerated longer than 15 minutes so that they hold together better during the frying.

Here is a link that might be useful: recipe

I have a Hoppin John recipe also - a little different -

HOPPINÂ JOHN

1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas (about 1/2 pound)
6 strips bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
Salt and Pepper
Dash of Louisiana-style hot sauce
1/2 cup minced green onions, including tops
3 tablespoons minced parsley

Pick over peas and rinse well. Cover with 3 cups of cold water and let stand overnight.

Drain peas, discarding water, and place in a large pot. In a separate pan, sauté bacon until crisp. Add it to peas, reserving rendered drippings. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water. Bring just to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until peas are tender, about 30 minutes (longer in high-altitude and hard-water areas). A small amount of cooking liquid should remain. If liquid is absorbed too quickly, during cooking, add fresh water 1/4 cup at a time.

In separate pan, cover rice with cold water. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and lower heat to the barest simmer. Simmer rice for 20 minutes.

When peas are tender, add cooked rice to pot. Stir in 2 tablespoons reserved bacon drippings (or olive oil, if preferred), salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes longer so flavors mingle and rice absorbs some of the remaining cooking liquid. To serve, garnish with green onions and parsley.

Serves 6 to 7.
Source: Home News 1997