Traditional Food for the Not-so-traditional: Black-eyed Bean Salad with Cardamom Rooibos Sun Tea

Our good friend, Peggy, says you should eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day (a southern tradition). Luckily, these are cheap and plentiful here in Bots. This is one of my favorite lunches with ingredients that are available in America and Botswana. I've made it with other types of beans, but black-eyed peas are pretty perfect. The spices are all optional and everything is flexible. Plus, if you make a mother-load of beans at one time, you can eat for a while without having to use a heat source.

Black-eyed Bean Salad with Cardamom Rooibos Sun Tea

Black-eyed Bean Salad

1 can of black eyed peas (or follow the directions below)*

3 diced tomatoes

1 diced onion

1/2 cup peas

½ cup corn

4 jalapenos (take out some of the seeds for less heat)

3 cups shredded rape (kale, swiss chard, or spinach works too)

1/8 c. lemon juice

1/2 t. coriander

1 t. cumin

salt/pepper to taste

cilantro

Toss all the raw ingredients and chill for at least an hour. If you are lucky enough to have some, sprinkle some cilantro on top (Thanks Andrew and Jen!)

*Black-eyed Beans 

500 g dried black-eyed peas

Water to cover +1 inch

2 cubes chicken bullion

A lot of garlic (I use about 4 T. powder or 5-6 cloves)

Salt/pepper to taste

1/8 c. apple cider vinegar

Sort, rinse, and soak the beans overnight in water with bullion and spices. In the morning, add more water if necessary, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for almost an hour (I do this really early in the morning with the doors and windows open. Bonus: I feel like all the garlic makes mosquitos run away. This could just be in my headJ). Test the beans to see if they are fully cooked, add vinegar, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the tasty bits. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit with the lid still on the pot until cool-ish. Reserve 2 cups for the salad. The rest can be frozen for later.

Cardamom Rooibos Sun Tea

Cardamom Rooibos Sun Tea

1 rooibos tea bag

Ginger root

Lemon

A few cardamom pods

Water

I cut several thin slivers of ginger and lemon and crack the cardamom pods before combining with water and rooibos tea in an old glass peanut butter jar (Any glass jar with a lid will work). Place in the sun for 4-5 hours (If you’re in Bots, it will be brewed in only an hour or two. Use a potholder!)