Pea Cakes with a Spicy Tomato Jam Recipe

by Christi Preddy

Pea cakes:

½ pound fresh crowder peas

½ pound fresh butter bean

4 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 spring onion, green part only, sliced thin

2 tablespoon Cilantro, rough chop

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup panko

1 tablespoon All purpose flour

2 tablespoon Olive oil

Tomato jam:

4 whole cloves

¼ t. crushed, dried red chili flakes

¼ t. mustard seeds

1 pound Roma tomatoes, ripe

½ cup sugar

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

½ t. kosher salt

¼ t. fresh ground black pepper

Pea cakes:

Cook both the crowder and butter beans in separate pots till just done.

Then drain and transfer to sheet pan to cool, reserving some of the cooking liquid.

Once the beans have cooled, puree half the beans and add to a mixing bowl with the rest of the whole beans.

To that bowl add jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, lightly beaten egg, panko, flour, olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly adding reserved liquid as needed to hold cakes together.

Pat out into two inch cakes. Lightly dust with flour and sauté till golden on each side.

Serve with a dollop of tomato jam.

Tomato jam:

Combine first three ingredients in a piece of cheesecloth. Secure with a piece of kitchen string.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; put tomatoes in the water and blanch until the skins split, 1 to 4 minutes. Then transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Pat the tomatoes dry, peel them, rough chop them into small uniform pieces.

Place the tomatoes and all the remaining ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Add the cheesecloth and slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and cool.