Black-Eyed Pea Salad

In continuing my summer salad adventure, I will continue to go with the few I picked around with lately. A week or so ago, it was requested last minute that I whip up a few salads for the "guys" at my husbands work. I was not in the mood for the traditional pasta or potato, for some reason I had beans and sweet potatoes in my head. So this salad and the Sweet-Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette ended up in my file. I didn’t hear any complaints, and I don’t know if that is just because they were being polite, or fail to understand the method of my madness. New recipes enter this house on a trial basis, and after consumption, it is determined if they are a “keeper” or not. So until I hear otherwise, I’ll assume a keeper.

This salad makes about 8-10 servings in single form. I used canned peas in replacement of the dry because they were already on my shelf and were faster.

Black-Eyed Pea and Spinach Salad

2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed completely

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1 jar of sliced sundried tomatoes in oil, about 8 ounces (do not drain, it all goes in)

1 cup Kalamata olives, drained and sliced in half

3 finely minced green onions

2 minced fine, garlic cloves

1 pound spinach, washed and chopped

zest and juice of a lemon

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except the lemon juice. This includes the oil from the tomatoes. I ended up slicing my tomatoes smaller, so that they were not in large chunks throughout the salad. Mix well, and lastly add the lemon juice mixing to combine. I realize this salad feels like it is missing something, and isn’t exploding with a ton of flavor. However, the combination of ingredients lends to a subtle flavor, and doesn’t mask the spinach.