Early September is one of my favorite times to visit a farmer’s market. Every stand has piles of beautiful produce spilling from one end of a table to another. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn- gardens are pushing out the last of their produce in a final attempt to ripen before the chill of fall arrives.

This is the time of year for peach salsa, garden gazpacho, and homemade hot sauce. My kitchen counter overflows with juicy tomatoes and a rainbow of peppers while the last of the sweet corn cools in the fridge. Cooking has been a bit of a challenge this summer with limited tools at my disposal for putting up the bounty of produce. One of my favorite ways to enjoy a medley of ripe vegetables is in a classic cowboy caviar.

Not quite a salsa. Not quite a salad. Cowboy caviar is one of those addictive concoctions that finds its way into your mouth via chip or spoon with equal gusto. Diced peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers form the firm base of the dish. Kernels of sweet corn mingle with creamy black beans providing a sweet heft to the caviar. The dressing is a perfect blend of rice vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice- buttery and tart all at the same time. I have made a big bowl of this late summer concoction every week for the past two months. Perfect for a picnic or party it also works equally well spooned into a small bowl with crushed chips for lunch. Like many non lettuce based salads the flavor only improves after a time in the fridge, leaving you with something satisfying to nibble on for several days (if it lasts that long!)

Cowboy Caviar Print Recipe

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Serves About 8 Cups

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Cane Sugar
• 2 Large Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 15oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15oz can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups Fresh Corn Kernels
• 1 Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Pepper, diced (1 cup)
• 1/2 small Red Onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 Jalepenos, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
• 1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 large Tomatoes, seeded, and diced
• 1 Lime, juiced

Cooking Directions

Make the Dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, olive oil, sugar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Make the Salad

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, peppers, onion, cilantro, cucumber, and tomatoes. Squeeze the lime juice over the top of the salad. Stir to combine all ingredients. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Let the cowboy caviar chill in the fridge at least 1 hour before serving.