My wife and I enjoy making this salad when the weather heats up. It is crisp, refreshing and enough for a meal for four. Modifications: * Leave out the italian dressing or substitute with a homemade dressing * Substitute great northern beans if canned black-eyed peas are scarce (as at our grocer) Today we're trying dried black-eyed peas, yet they require 8 hours of soaking, 1.5 hours of simmering, followed by cooling, before beginning the salad.