When I am catering for vegetarians, legumes and pulses are always a go to, nutritious, full meal solution. And if it is summer in Greece and the garden gives parsley and cherry tomatoes in abundance, I mingle in a few more things, season generously and people are smiling.
I am intentionally omitting quantities here. Recipes should not be about quantities, the should be about flavour combinations and techniques. This is a good example of a recipe where the relative quantities are easy to instinctively comprehend. The process is as follows:
Decide how much of your main ingredient, in this case black eyed peas, you will need based on how many people you are feeding, but also if the dish will serve as a main or a side course.
Cook your main ingredient and based on the final volume, think about how much of the other flavours you want. Do you want more celery than feta? Do you want more cherry tomatoes than olives? Think of the perfect bite and consider quantities in relative volumes to the main ingredient.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add:
Black eyed peas
Turn heat down to a steady simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, until edible but not mushy. Drain and mix in a bowl with:
Cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
Celery, very thinly sliced
Feta, in small pieces
Green olive fillets
Red onion, very thinly diced
Parsley
Dill
Mix well and start to season with
Salt
Pepper
Vinegar, I like to use a mixture of apple sider and balsamic.
I can not stress enough the importance of vinegars in legume salads. They need it as much as everything else needs salt. Taste and adjust a few times until you are satisfied. Finally dress with:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil