Dear friends, I can’t help myself. Barry and I stumbled upon this post from 2010 yesterday morning at 6:30 and totally cracked up. (Well, he may have left for work, rolling his eyes!) I insisted upon reading it aloud to him, every Cowboy word. Honestly, people are still reading this post eight years later, probably those who have innocently Googled “Cowboy Caviar”. Heaven forbid–what must they THINK when they come upon this?
If you haven’t read, please continue…you, too can wonder what was going on in this blogger’s mind when she was writing! (This blogger is wondering, too!)
P.S. The Universe obviously laughed along with us. A few hours later, an ad for “Cowgirl Boots” came on my Facebook pages. Then this ad appeared in snail mail:
“Tails of the Old West”
Please enjoy this “old” post–and yes, make some Cowboy Caviar, too!
Welcome to the Old West, you cowfolk. I hope everyone is hungry. Someone get the grill going. How ’bout if you play your guitar? Something like Home, Home on the Range? Gracias, amigo. Now, some of you want to come into the kitchen and make some Caviar? A special recipe just for Cowboys. That’s what Lori said.
Who’s Lori, you ask? Lori works with me at the school and last week she brought us buckaroos a bowl of Cowboy Caviar. We eyed the “caviar” curiously. She supplied tortilla chips. We dug in. We ate, and continued to eat, and chimed in “Hey, Vaquero! We want the recipe!”
Now let’s get out our knives & such. Chop, dice, open cans, stir. No guns allowed at dinner!
So Lori emailed the recipe from her chuckwagon. And I just happen to have a potluck party to attend tomorrow. Thus, this afternoon’s chore involved making the grub.
Here’s the recipe. (I’ll tell you the “official” recipe first and then tell you how this wrangler changed it…)
Cowboy Caviar
Boil together:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
JUST until the sugar dissolves.
LET COOL!
Chop:
1 red onion
4 stalks celery
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Drain:
1 can black-eyed peas
1 can pinto beans or black beans
1 can corn and add to vegetable mixture.
Gently mix into liquid mixture, CHILL, Stir before serving.
Better than cows on the grill. OK, if you must eat your cows, have some caviar as a side dish. Yum, yum, ride ’em cowboys!
Got that, buckaroos?
Now here’s what the range boss added, just because she can’t stand following recipes without being creative:
1/2 cup cilantro
a spicy pepper from our garden (a long green jobbie that has just a tiny jalapeno-ish bite)
Oh, and I only used 2 T. of olive oil instead of a 1/2 cup. Your choice, Cowfolk!
And when you’re done lickin’ your chops, could a couple of you cowboys come over with your chainsaws? We’ve got a few downed trees that need to be chopped up.
Some of you may have heard the rumor about the wild wind and gale warnings in these neck of the woods last night. It was CRAZY! I heard between a half-dozen and a dozen trees crash to the ground. Although none on our ranch, thank goodness.
The waves out there on Superior were bucking like broncos with waves predicted in excess of 20 feet. I don’t know that they were that high. But the wind roared, the power flickered and went off three times, and the cows bellowed out in the pasture. (OK, disregard the last part of that sentence and eat some more Caviar.)
There is a tree halfway down across the road, and therefore I am calling for a cowboy or six to come and cut it up. Your reward: some beans and veggies. You bring your own cow for the grill. We do have some leftover barbecue sauce in the frig.
OK, all you cowpokes! Enough of this fun. We have to get back to work. But if you’re curious about Why the Heck this stuff is called Cowboy Caviar…here’s what you do. Head over to this blog One Perfect Bite and read the explanation of the origins of Cowboy Caviar. I’m not going to tell another word except it involved a honcho who didn’t like black-eyed peas. You can read this author’s version of the Caviar. If you try both, let us know which you like best!
Swingin’ on into the sunset…can’t you just hear that horse-hummin’ music? (Ba-dump-ba-dump… Ba-dump-ba-dump…Happy Trails to you, until we meet again…) Hi ho silver!!
Until the cows come home, your blogging Biscuit Shooter. (a Biscuit Shooter was slang for da cook.)
Lake Superior Spirit 
I had to eat way too many black-eyed peas when I was a kid and swore NEVER AGAIN! Till a friend served one of the umpteen versions of cowboy caviar. I was hooked. Love this stuff!
Esther, it sounds like you changed your cowpoke ways. *grin* I hate to admit this, but I haven’t made Cowboy Caviar since writing this post in 2010. Maybe now’s the time? Thanks for reading and commenting!
Kathy, this recipe sounds delicious and so refreshing for the summertime! It’s kind similar to my homemade salsa (which was less like salsa and much more like this recipe) but everyone loved it. I sure love your way with words! It’s always such a delight to read your stories! ❤
Brenda, wondering if you remembered reading this in 2010? Or if it sounds brand new? (I probably wouldn’t remember 99.9% of blog posts I read in 2010…) Your homemade salsa sounds delicious! Mmmm…Thanks for reading the Buckaroo story and for enjoying it! Hope you are getting this warm(er) weather and enjoying it.
Kathy, the story sounded a bit familiar to me but I can’t remember if I read it back then. Lately I’ve been thinking of rereading your stories about walking outside everyday. I loved them so much! It’s been kind of worrisome here (with health issues for Alex and his brother, too) and kind of busy. I’ve been doing a lot of bible reading on a 90 day journey to read and study the bible from cover to cover. It’s been an eye opener for me so far. The weather here has been a warm up over the last few days but it looks like a snowstorm is building for Sunday-Monday now. I love when it snows because everything looks so clean and sparkly and there is a hush in the air that makes me feel calm and peaceful. ❤ I hope the winter is treating you well and bringing many moments to treasure!
So sorry to hear about the health challenges for your kids, Brenda. That must be hard on you. But glad to hear that you are strengthening your faith throughout the long winter. I periodically feel regretful that I can’t be writing blog posts about life outside in our woods like back in 2009. It seems that there are lots of readers that would really like that (and I know you are one.) Sometimes I get inspired for about a day and think–yes, Kathy, you can do this again. It could be fun! But the inspiration doesn’t last and I usually prefer to write about creative ideas, or spirituality, or whatever is dancing around in this mind. But who knows? The Universe moves in mysterious ways, and I am open to write what baptizes this heart with the Holy Spirit. Ha ha! Your Biblical reference just caught fire and took over the typing fingers. 🙂
It is nice of you to include the recipe. I have seen this dish many times in the heart of Texas. I will eat just about anything except anything hoofed and rarely any chicken. But for some reason I do not care for this dish. The combo is just not right and I have never made it. Some folks rave about this dish and it is very easy to make. I think is lacks garlic and needs more spicy something- not sure what. But yippee to the good folks that like almost eat their weight in Cowboy Caviar.
PS: I sure enjoyed reading your buckaroo post.
Yvonne, so glad you enjoyed reading this! I was kinda Cowgirl Crazy when writing it back in 2010! Enjoyed making all those cowpoke puns. 🙂 Was just mentioning in the comments up above that I haven’t made this dish since 2010, so maybe it’s time to try it again. Really enjoyed it when Lori made it that day at work at the school.
What a fun rollicking post, Kathy! I thoroughly enjoyed the ride across the wild prairies with you. 🙂
Oh, Reggie, thanks for rollicking along with me and the Buckaroos! Glad you enjoyed the creative fun!
Hi Kathy! I got this recipe originally on Isle Royale – we happened to be there during the big annual MI v. MN fishing contest and fish fry, and we fell in love with the Cowboy Caviar they served (although they called it Texas Confetti). It’s been my favorite ever since – I throw it in eggs, put a scoop of it on top of a green salad – I have a million ways to enjoy it!
Terri, that’s so interesting! I have not heard it called Texas Confetti before. I find it doubly interesting because there’s a big chance my husband, Barry, was at that same fish fry that year. Probably even frying fish. You could have even eaten some! Your idea of throwing in eggs sounds appealing. Have been enjoying an egg in certain dishes like these lately. Thanks for reading and sharing your story!
BUT! Caveat emptor! Warning, warning;
danger Will Robinson! Use high-quality black-eyed peas. If you use the cheap ones, those little black eyes actually FALL OFF! Who knew?
Terri, you can tell we’re “of a certain generation” when we say things like danger Will Robinson! Loved that show back when. But, my dear, where does one GET high-quality black-eyed peas in the U.P.?? That’s the question of the day. Let me know if you have an answer to that!
My heart is racing along with the cow stampede because the leader of the pack heard “Cowboy Caviar” and thought it meant they’d be part of the recipe.
What a relief that it’s all beans and corn and veggie stuff. I don’t like caviar and am quite sure I’d not like any cow in any Texan caviar. But this shows you how words can surprise us. No cowboy in the dish, no cow, and by golly, no caviar either. Phew.
I’ve enjoyed this dish, made by a CA friend. I think she called it Texas Confetti, as noted above. In my mind, a little goes a long way. But the tortilla chips could change my mind. 🙂
Now that’s a creative seat-of-the-pants response to Cowboy Caviar! You can make a galloping story out of ANYTHING, can’t you? Your words “tortilla chips” above suddenly filled me with a longing. Blue chips, yellow chips…chips with anything. Salsa, Cowpoke Stew, whatever! However, no tortilla chips exist in the house, so a cowgirl would have to trot along to town to lasso ’em. 😉
Or, you could gallop over here to New England. I’d give you your very own bag!! 🙂
This made me laugh, too, Kathy! Do you know my favorite part? “Until the cows come home, your blogging Biscuit Shooter. (a Biscuit Shooter was slang for da cook.)” “Da cook,” for all of your rootin’-tootin’ cowboy talk, sounds an awful lot like “yooper”-speak, to me! What fun!
Cindy, I remember about falling off the chair when the typing fingers came up with that “Cows coming home and Biscuit Shooter” reference. GLAD you enjoyed, too! Not everyone appreciates this sense of humor, methinks. But we cowfolk do, don’t we? (Ha ha, I never think of cowboy stuff, ever. That’s perhaps why this tickles the funny bone.)
Oh buckaroo you really were in a cowboy frame of mind. That recipe looks yummy.
Sybil, was just mentioning to Cindy (up above) that I never ever think about cowboy stuff, so it tickled this funny bone all the way out to the high prairies to witness this creative writing commentary coming out of the typing fingers!
even MORE exciting and useful to ME! I have been praying for some accompaniments for food here that i can afford that are NOT plain rice woohoo ty ty not at all boring
So glad to provide you with a recipe you might like, Elisa!
I happen to like black-eyed peas and black beans but my family won’t eat Cilantro (I think we’ve discussed that before). The dish is pretty and I may just make it sometime.
Deb, I should make it again sometime soon, too. Think we have talked about the cilantro challenges with certain people. We think it’s a major food group here. 🙂
Having grown up in Texas, would you believe I never once had “cowboy caviar” I like all the ingredients so I’m sure I would like the dish.
Karen, I would have thought all you Texas cowgirls would know how to make this. Smile. Let me know if you give it a try, and if you like it. Or not. Sometimes I love a dish like this (as when Lori made it) but don’t off go back to remake it again.