Easy Cowboy Caviar

Memorial Day weekend, and the Simms family gathered at the house for a cookout. Not the Forestdale Simms — the whole Simms family, or as much of it as could make the drive. Doris came from Hoover with Harold and their grandchildren. James drove up from Montgomery with a cooler full of sodas and that look he gets when he has been alone in the car too long — thoughtful, a little melancholy, but it lifts the minute he walks into my kitchen and smells food. Raymond called from Atlanta to say he could not make it, which is Raymond's annual contribution to family gatherings. Carolyn came from Bessemer, fifteen minutes down the road, with potato salad that she made from Mama's recipe but somehow always tastes a little different from mine, and I love her and I will never tell her why.

I was on the grill, which is unusual because grilling is traditionally Calvin's territory, but Calvin was in the den with James watching baseball, and the ribs were not going to season themselves. I rubbed them down with my dry rub — brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, salt, and a little mustard powder — and got them on the charcoal at noon. Low heat, indirect, the way ribs should be done: patient, like a sermon, like a marriage, like anything worth having.

Marcus was in the backyard with his cousins, playing the kind of rough football that makes a mother's knees hurt just watching. He is sixteen and physical in the way boys are at sixteen — all energy and no fear, a body that does not know yet how breakable it is. I watched from the kitchen window and prayed the small prayer mothers pray when their children are playing: Lord, keep them whole. Keep them whole.

Mama called from Bessemer because she could not come — her back was acting up, she said, which I suspect is half true and half stubborn because Mama does not like to be at gatherings she cannot run, and if she cannot be in charge of the kitchen she would rather be at home. I told her the ribs were good. She said did you use enough cayenne. I said yes Mama. She said you always say yes and I always taste not enough. She is impossible and she is right and she is my mother.

We ate on the back porch as the sun went down. Ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, watermelon. The children ran in the yard catching lightning bugs. Calvin said grace. The food was good and the family was here and sometimes that is the whole story. Sometimes that is enough.

Between keeping an eye on the ribs and watching Marcus and his cousins tear up the backyard, I did not have time to fuss over a complicated side — and honestly, a day like that does not need fussing. This Easy Cowboy Caviar is exactly what I reach for when the table needs something bright and fresh to sit next to the heavy, smoky food, something that takes almost no time but looks like you thought about it. I had it in a big bowl on the porch before Calvin even finished grace, and it was nearly gone before the watermelon came out.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed (or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained)
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 green bell pepper, diced small
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Combine the vegetables. In a large mixing bowl, add the black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeño. Toss gently to combine.
Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the vegetable and bean mixture. Stir well to coat everything evenly.
Add the cilantro. Fold in the fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust with additional salt, lime juice, or cumin if desired.
Chill if time allows. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least 20–30 minutes before serving so the flavors can come together. It can be made up to 24 hours ahead — just give it a good stir before serving.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips, or spoon alongside grilled meats, ribs, and cornbread as a fresh side salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Easy Cowboy Caviar — The Side Dish That Feeds a Whole Simms Family Reunion