Black-Eyed Pea and Chard Stew

3/4 cup dried black-eye peas
12 oz Swiss chard, including stems
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Soak the black-eyed peas in cold water overnight, then drain.
2. Wash the Swiss chard and trim the stems. Roughly chop the stems and leaves.
3. Place the black-eyed peas and chard in a large saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 20 minutes or until almost tender. Drain in a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and chard, reserved cooking liquid, and tomato paste. Stir the mixture well, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve warm with bread and feta cheese.

Source: Modern Greek cookbook

Try #1 - June 7, 2011
This was really delicious! I used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh. I definitely wouldn't leave out the feta cheese - it went really well with it. We also served it with peasant bread. Yum!