Southern Caviar

This recipe was given to me several years ago by my friend Kar, passed on to her through several of her friends. We call it "roasted corn" because I tend to add my own little touches to recipes once I have made them once according to the directions. "Roasted Corn" has also become a phrase ny friends in this group call things I do when I make them harder than they are, or change them in a way that is unique to me. There is always a story behind my recipes which I always use as inspiration for this blog. With tailgate season coming up, I thought this would be a good recipe to post for dishes we need that do not spoil in the heat and can be left out all day while folks are enjoying the games or other activities. A friend of mine recently solicited recipes for tailgating since the season is close, so I decided to post this on my blog. It is simple, can be used as a salad or dip and is surprisingly delicious.

"Redneck" Caviar

1 can black eyed peas
1 can white shoe peg corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
1 can Rotel Brand Tomatoes-use the degree of "heat" selections you and your friends enjoy
1 green pepper
1 small bottle Viva Italian spicy salad dressing or regular Italian dressing

Place the first four ingredients in a colandar to drain the liquid from the veggies, and rinse well with cold water.
Place these in a bowl and add the Rotel Tomatoes (undrained), the chopped bell pepper and Italian dressing.
Stir and let chill overnight or at least a few hours.

The reason we called this "roasted corn" is that you may brown the corn in a skillet before adding it to the dish to give it another level of flavor. You can also play around with the recipe by adding black beans instead of blackeyed peas, adding some lime juice and cilantro to make it more of a Southwestern type dish. Any way you make it, you will find it a delicious addition to any occasion, and it doensn't have to be served cold. I serve it with tortilla chips, but it is good with almost any type of cracker, chip sort of item. And the best thing about it is that it won't "go bad" and can be left out all day at your events for folks to just enjoy all day long with no worry of any ingredients that won't hold up through the unpredictable weather.
Enjoy, play around with the recipe for your liking, and your guests will almost always comment on how good it is. Again, it may also be served as a salad as you might serve with any other tailgate foods.