I hope you all had a wonderful and happy Christmas! We did indeed; it was great to catch up with family and play games, share food, and simply enjoy one another’s company. I think my favorite part of our Christmas gathering was making homemade pierogi for Christmas dinner – just about everyone had their hands in the dough at some point, so you know the pierogi were made with love! Though the fun is over now and we’re back home and settling into our normal routines, I’m also looking forward to the new year with anticipation. We’ll be having a small gathering with a few of our close friends on New Year’s Eve, and I’m really looking forward to it. Also, since I read that eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity, I thought it would be fun to throw together this simple salsa, which is made even simpler by using canned black-eyed peas rather than dry. I hope you’ll give it a try for your New Year’s celebration, too!

• 16 ounces black-eyed peas
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
• 2 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground rosemary

If you’re using dry beans, prepare them according to package directions. I used Goya brand, and the instructions are to either add 3-4 cups hot water for every 1/2 pound of dry beans and boil for 2 minutes, and then set aside for 1 hour (which is what I did), or to let them stand in 3-4 cups cold water overnight. If you are using canned black-eyed peas, simply drain and rinse them.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomato, peppers, and onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.

Stir the black-eyed peas into the vegetable mixture and then pour on the dressing. Mix until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving to develop the flavor of the salsa.

Serve with tortilla chips.