Okra and Black-Eye Pea Saute

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound strip bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 3 cups fresh okra, cut into rounds
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 2 fresh small red hot chiles, chopped
• 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, recipe follows
• 1 cup green onion, diced
• Oven dried cherry tomatoes, recipe follows
• Salt
• Pepper
• Freshly chopped parsley and Italian parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

In a large saute pan, cook bacon until fat is rendered. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set aside. Saute yellow onion and garlic in bacon drippings until soft. Add okra, corn, and chile pepper and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add black-eyed peas, green onion, and cherry tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and chopped parsley and toss in reserved bacon.

Black-Eye Peas:

• 2 cups black-eye peas
• Water, to cover
• 1 onion, quartered, with a bay leaf attached with a clove
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt

Soak 2 cups beans overnight in water to cover. Rinse the beans and place in a pot with enough water to cover the beans. Add the onion and the black pepper. Over high heat, allow to come to boil then reduce to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until beans are firm but cooked. Season with salt. Let the peas sit in this liquid for 15 minutes before draining.

Oven-dried Tomatoes:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sprinkle brown sugar
• 6 or 7 thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Place the cut cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut side up. Season with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and sprigs of thyme. Dry in the oven for 4 to 6 hours. Check periodically to make sure they don?t burn.