Yee-haw! It's cowboy caviar

Served with corn chips, Cowboy Caviar makes a great appetizer to a southwest menu. (T-G Photo by John Philleo) [Order this photo]

I began racking my brain this morning about what to make -- but it didn't take me long to figure this one out. I thought back to a couple weeks ago, when I was on the radio with Geneva Smith, trying to think of something she and I had talked about that would be fun to make. Then I looked on my desk, where I have my own collection of recipes.

On the top of my ever-growing stack sat the answer to my dilemma.

Cowboy Caviar!

Geneva had told me about Cowboy Caviar, apparently an old favorite around this area, and upon my return to the office from the show, I found the recipe, which someone from the paper (who had heard me on the show) had left on my desk.

The recipe was still on my desk when I returned from an out-of-town trip this morning, two weeks after I received it.

Other than it sounding like it'd be pretty quick to make, there were three reasons I really wanted to do this recipe. First, Geneva (whom I know has a great wealth of knowledge about food) mentioned it; second, T-G page designer Carol Spray (another awesome cook) is the person I learned who'd left the recipe on my desk; and three, and definitely most importantly, I love Cowboys!

Okay, so the recipe has absolutely nothing to do with caviar, but it is a full-fledged southwestern concoction that could serve as either a summer salad/side dish, or a salsa served with corn chips (scoops).

Before I made it, Carol told me she serves it like a salsa, with corn chips. However, the recipe actually doesn't say how to serve it, and after I made it, I realized Cowboy Caviar is probably truly intended to be served as a summer side dish ... unless you're serving an Army of men who love salsa.

Yes, it made an enormous amount.

I suppose you could divide it up and freeze it into appropriate portions if you'd like to use it for salsa. Or, make the whole batch and bring it to a summer barbecue for all your friends to enjoy as a side dish.

The recipe includes a couple different types of beans, corn, olives, chilies, tomatoes, green onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalepeno pepper, cilantro and Italian dressing.

I sampled it after I made it and it really is good, refreshing and zesty, with just the perfect amount of kick from the jalepenos. And it's one of those dishes that gets better the longer it all meshes together. I left it in the refrigerator overnight, bought a bag of corn chips, and shared this fun local favorite with the entire staff at the T-G.

Cowboy up, and give this summer favorite a try. You'll have your friends hollering, "Yee-haw!"

Cowboy Caviar

2 15 oz. cans of black eyed peas

1 15 oz. can of white shoe peg corn

1 15 oz. can yellow corn

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 2 oz. can of black olives

2 4 oz. cans of green chilies (I mistakenly only purchased one can)

3 chopped tomatoes (I used three cans of diced tomatoes)

1 bunch of green onion

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 chopped bell paper

2 jalepeno peppers

1/2 fresh chopped parsley or cilantro (I used cilantro)

1 16 oz. bottle of Italian dressing

Drain and rinse beans and corn and tomatoes (if using canned tomatoes). Add everything together, mix and refrigerate for a few hours, at least, before serving.