Name: Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Peaches and Pecans
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2½ tablespoons juice (2 limes); 1 teaspoon honey; 1 small garlic clove , minced; ¾ teaspoon table salt; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas , rinsed; 2 peaches or nectarines, halved, pitted, and chopped coarse; 3 ounces frisée or escarole, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces; ¼ cup finely chopped red onion; ¼ cup pecans or whole almonds, toasted and chopped; ¼ cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, torn into ½-inch pieces; 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine

Why This Recipe Works

They're popular in the South, so we looked to Southern cuisine for inspiration and decided on using a combination of peaches and pecans. Peaches added sweet juiciness while pecans provided crunch and richness. For a little spice, we seeded a jalapeño so that its heat wouldn't overwhelm its sharp, fruity flavor and then chopped it fine. For greens we turned to frisée, a delicate but slightly bitter-tasting kind of chicory that's milder in flavor than other chicory varieties but has similar feathery leaves. Finely chopped red onion added a sharp bite, and basil contributed fresh flavor, nicely complementing the sweetness of the peaches. To tame the bitter flavor of the greens and any lingering heat from the jalapeño, we added a little honey to the dressing and finished it with some lime juice for bright acidity.

Before You Begin

If you can't find peaches or nectarines, substitute one orange, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces. Toast the pecans until they begin to darken slightly in color, 3 to 5 minutes. For more spice, reserve, mince, and add the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño.

Instructions

Whisk lime zest and juice, honey, garlic, and salt together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified. Add black-eyed peas, peaches, frisée, onion, pecans, basil, and jalapeño and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.