Black-Eyed Pea Vinaigrette
Dilly Stuffed Eggs
Lemon Chess Pie
Awaken this spring to all things new, to gardens revived and friendships revisited. Celebrate the glorious gift of Easter with an old-fashioned Sunday picnic. The entire menu can be made ahead and combines traditional holiday fare with a few fun surprises. Marmalade and Mustard Marinated Ham is delicious served warm or cold. Sliced thinly, it goes a long way. Black-Eyed Pea Vinaigrette is a delicious side dish. An excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, black-eyed peas are unusually rich in nutrients but relatively low in calories. Because they are digested slowly, they raise blood sugar very gently and are sometimes recommended for diabetics. Their high fiber content has been linked to lower blood cholesterol. It is even suspected that black-eyed peas contain compounds that protect against cancers. Dilly Stuffed Eggs are a must on Easter Sunday and Lemon Chess Pie is the perfect dessert to end a perfect picnic. Happy Easter!
Marmalade and Mustard Marinated Ham
1 (7 to 8-pound) fully cooked ham half
2 cups orange juice
2 cups ginger ale
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Place first 3 ingredients in a large heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove from marinade. Reserve marinade. Place ham, fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours, basting often with marinade. Remove ham from oven; reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Slice skin from ham; score fat in a diamond design. Combine brown sugar, marmalade, and mustard; spread over scored fat. Bake ham, uncovered, 30 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before carving. Serves 16.
Black-Eyed Pea Vinaigrette
2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas
1 small onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Drain and rinse peas. Toss gently in a mixing bowl with onion, pepper, parsley, and dill. Sprinkle with equal amounts of oil and vinegar, until well moistened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
Dilly Stuffed Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup salad dressing
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper
Dash dill weed
Slice eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks with salad dressing. Add mustard, salt, pepper, and dill weed. Stir well. Spoon yolk mixture into egg whites. Sprinkle with additional dill weed to garnish. Serves 6.
Lemon Chess Pie
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 (9-inch) pastry shell, unbaked
Combine sugar, flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add butter, lemon rind, lemon juice, and milk; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.
