Cowboy Caviar, A San Antonio Favorite

Oh caviar!  The savory snack of the rich and famous.  I wouldn't have thought there was any food from the sea that I didn't like but I can do without caviar.  Little black, salty fish eggs, you either love it or hate it.

So when I heard about a neighbor's BBQ where Cowboy Caviar was to be one of the dishes, I assumed

that would be one dish I steer away from.  But once there, I saw the dish of color and beauty that you see here and was pleasantly surprised by the Mexican spices and fresh bounty of vegies in season. 

If you like the basic recipe, make sure to experiment with substituting other types of beans, adding salad sized shrimp, prepared pasta, serving as a side dish with meats or its traditional use, served with big tortilla chips for scooping.  Remember, you can also leave out a spice or vegie you don't like or have on hand.

 Ingredients:

2 c corn or 1 can
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c green or other color bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 c diced celery
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian dressing (or 1/2 c oil and 1/4 c red wine vinegar plus salt and pepper & 1/4 c sugar)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (seeds from cilantro plant, ground)
1/4 teaspoon cumin or to taste (optional, not in the original recipe but it makes a nice addition) 
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro or to taste


Instructions:

Chop the vegies rather small so they are consistent with size of the corn kernels.  In a large dish, mix everything together except the cilantro . I like to use a 9 X 13 dish because more of the vegies get more of the marinade. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 4 hours or more. I like to drain off the dressing and return a couple teaspoons just to keep it moist.  This cuts down on the calories from the oil in the dressing.  Toss with desired amount of fresh cilantro to serve.

Makes about 10 cups

Teri Blaschke is the RV Park operator of family owned HiddenValley RV Park in San Antonio, TX and writer of the park blog “A Little Piece of Country in San Antonio.” Teri contributes to various other blogs with a focus on either travel or social media and how it relates to the outdoor hospitality industry but her passion is serving the RV travel community by providing a memorable RV camping experience and growing the Hidden Valley RV family.  Connect with Teri on Google+, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter@HiddenValleyRV and our RV Country Daily Magazine and don't forget to Say hello to the voice of Hidden Valley