FRESH CORN AND PEA SALAD

Fresh Corn and Pea Salad image

Categories Salad Corn Pea Summer Potluck Simmer

Yield serves 10 to 12

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1/2 pound thick-sliced applewood-smoked bacon (about 6 slices)
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh cream peas, or 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into medium dice
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into medium dice
4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked and kernels sliced off the cob
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Steps:

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels; set aside. Dispose of all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the skillet. Cook the onion and celery until the onions are translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the fresh peas and enough cool water to cover. Simmer the bean mixture, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the peas are tender, up to 45 minutes. Thoroughly drain off the liquid and pour the pea mixture into a large bowl.
Place the peas in a large bowl along with the cooked onion, celery, and garlic; stir until combined. If you are using canned peas, don't cook them; just rinse and drain. Stir in the red and green bell peppers, and fresh corn.
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegars, olive oil, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Pour into the pea mixture and toss to combine well. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces and stir it into the salad with the chopped chives and parsley.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours so the flavors can blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.
do it early
This salad keeps well. It can be made at least 24 hours in advance and holds up to 3 days, making it a slam-dunk dish for a summer party or potluck.
tip
A word about peas: When Southerners talk peas, also known as southern peas or cowpeas, they often are talking about what people in other parts of the country call beans. Most have a small but pronounced eye that marks where the pea was attached to the pod. (Eyeless cream peas are among the exceptions.) For obvious reasons, Southerners also fondly refer to the peas as "shellies," and as a result of the hours I spent as a child shelling them, I can attest to the sad fact that they take a lot longer to liberate from their shells than they do to eat.