Black Eyed Peas and Chards Stew

The largest island in Greece, Crete is a world in itself, very much favored by the gods. Cretan cuisine, standing out for its simplicity, defines one of the oldest diets in the world still popular today, the Mediterranean diet. This meal serves as an example of how pulses, such as dried beans, lentils, and peas, were used instead of more expensive protein choices and are at the very backbone of the "poor man's" diet.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo of chards

• 600 grams of black eyed peas

• the juice of 2 lemons

• 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt

• pepper

• grated cheese on the top (optional)

the above ingredients are refering to six portions

Method

1. Before cooking, soak the black eyed peas in cold water to soften, for about 4-6 hours.

2. Strain them and put them in boiling water.

3. Cook them for about 30 minutes.

4. The last 7 minutes of the process, add the chard into the boiling water.

5. Put the extra virgin olive oil and the juice of 2 lemons in a jam jar. Put the lid on, shake well and add it in the sauce pan.

6. Serve with a grating of any cheese you like and a slice of wholemeal bread.