Recipe - Hopping John Vinaigrette

2 cup Dried blackeyed peas
1 Piece of fatback
or salt pork
1 Hot red pepper
2 md Onions; chopped
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup Uncooked rice
4 tablespoon Drippings, preferably bacon

VINAIGRETTE
1/3 cup Red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Peanut oil
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh basil
4 sl Bacon
crisply fried & crumbled

Hopping John is a traditional Southern New Year's dish. This is a modern
salad version.

PLACE BLACKEYED PEAS in a large pot, cover with water and add 3 cups more
water. Add fatback or salt pork, slashed in several places, hot red pepper,
half the onion, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat
and simmer until the peas are tender. Add more water as needed. Remove the
peas. Add rice to the pot of water and drippings. Bring back to the boil,
cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 30
minutes. Return the peas to the pot, stir together and cook a few minutes
more. Drain. Remove the fatback and hot pepper. Add rest of chopped onion.
Make a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and peanut oil. Add
salt and pepper. Combine with the Hopping John, add chopped fresh basil and
bacon, crisply fried and crumbled.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini