Somebody open up a fire hydrant

I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but Durham went from Winter to Summer overnight. Screw you, Spring. Lucky for me, the weather has coincided perfectly with my senioritis; I've been able to spend my days sitting by the pool and playing tennis.

The weather has also given me an excuse to make this awesome Texas caviar, which was introduced to me by Julie and her friend Nicole. I didn't know what Texas caviar was and the name made me wary, but apparently it's a thing: an awesome thing. It's a delicious form of salsa that is so good we've made it four times in the last two weeks. It's refreshing, healthy (even when eaten in large quantities, and trust me, you will), and the texture goes perfectly with some blue corn chips. Another plus: it doesn't use any cilantro (that soap-tasting herb that everyone else finds necessary to over-saturate all food with). Oh, and no animals are killed in the process. This wins!

Texas Caviar

Recipe yields lots, but it will stay good for at least a week in the fridge

1 can each (drained): pinto beans, black-eyed peas, black beans, shoepeg corn, fire-roasted jalapenos (Ortega)
1 red onion (chopped finely)
1 green pepper (chopped finely)
1 red pepper (chopped finely)
6 stalks of celery (chopped finely)

Marinade (double this if you're feelin' crazy):
1/2 c sugar (or Splenda... I don't use the entire 1/2 c)
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt

1. Mix liquids and seasonings to make marinade.

2. Chop and mix in all other ingredients.

3. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

4. Serve with tortilla chips... or anything else you see fit.

And for those of you who don't believe me about cilantro, even the Wall Street Journal agrees (ugh, tennis and WSJ mentioned in one post... I told you I was bourgie): http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123446387388578461.html