[jenny_islander]

I served this as a main dish with rice and saw my carnivore husband gobble up a meatless meal for the first time ever. If you make a smaller batch without the rice, it should be a tasty side dish, and very substantial. The cookbook I got this from called it "Black-Eyed Peas Delicious."

Pick over, wash, and soak:

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas

Drain, put into kettle, and cover with fresh water. Add:

1 T salt
1 clove garlic, halved

Cook 3 hours or until tender, adding water as needed. Set aside and keep warm. Heat in skillet:

1/2 cup oil, preferably olive oil (don't skimp!)

Saute until vegetables are soft and bay leaves are fragrant:

3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sweet peppers, chopped
3 medium onions, preferably yellow, chopped
1/2 t ground sage
2 bay leaves

Pick out the bay leaves. Pour vegetable mixture into cooked peas; season with:

3 T cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Stir gently together and serve. This dish reheats very well, so you could make it a day or two ahead of time and reheat in a slow cooker.