Tag: Juneteenth

  • What Juneteenth Means to Me

    What Juneteenth Means to Me

    I will be honest.
    I do not remember hearing much about Juneteenth when I was young.
    Maybe that was because I was from the Midwest. Maybe it was because, for a long time, Juneteenth was mostly spoken of as a Texas celebration. Maybe it was because some parts of our history were passed down in whispers, while other parts were left for us to find when we were older and strong enough to carry them.
    But when I did learn what Juneteenth meant, I felt something heavy settle in me.
    It saddened me.
    The kind of sadness that comes when you realize freedom was not only denied, but delayed. When you realize some people knew slavery had ended and still refused to release those who had already paid for this country with their bodies. Their labor. Their children. Their names. Their grief.
    It is one thing to know slavery existed.
    It is another thing to understand that even after freedom was declared, some still refused to let enslaved people go.
    That is the part that stayed with me.
    Those additional years.
    Those families were still held in fields, kitchens, barns, and houses while the world had already shifted on paper.
    And yet, inside that sadness, there was also relief.
    Relief that someone finally came. On June 19, 1865, word finally reached the enslaved people in Texas that they were free.
    Not free from struggle.
    But free from legal bondage.
    Free from being owned.
    And for that, we remember.
    For that, we gather.
    For that, we cook.
    Juneteenth, to me, has never felt like a holiday that should be reduced to a sale, a slogan, or a color palette. It is not simply a summer event. It is not just another reason to put something on a calendar and call it progress.
    It is ours.
    That does not mean others cannot stand beside us. I believe they can. I believe they should if they come to understand that this is not a costume, not a marketing angle, not a borrowed celebration to be emptied of its meaning.
    Juneteenth is not about making everyone comfortable.
    It is about telling the truth.
    It is about the last day of slavery, reaching the last people who were still being held in its grip. It is about delayed freedom and the people who survived long enough to hear it named.

    Kyle J. Hayes

    kylehayesblog.com

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    Resources for Hard Times

    If you’re looking for practical help, food support, or community resources, you can visit the Salt, Ink & Soul Resources Page.

    👉 Resources for Hard Times

  • Black-Eyed Peas & Sweet Corn Salad

    Black-Eyed Peas & Sweet Corn Salad

    Every summer, when the garden feels generous.

    The tomatoes finally ripen.

    The cucumbers seem to multiply overnight.

    Fresh herbs spill over the edges of their containers as if they have forgotten where they were supposed to stop growing.

    And the corn arrives.

    Sweet and bright, tasting like sunshine somehow found its way into a vegetable.

    This salad reminds me that some of the best summer meals do not require an oven, a grill, or much planning at all.

    Just a bowl.

    A knife.

    And ingredients that already know how to be delicious.

    The black-eyed peas bring substance and tradition.

    The sweet corn brings brightness.

    The vegetables bring freshness.

    Together they create something that feels at home beside barbecue, fried chicken, or a plate of macaroni and cheese.

    A reminder that summer cooking is often at its best when we simply let the ingredients speak for themselves.

    Serves

    6 to 8

    Ingredients

    For the Salad

    • 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and cooled
    • 2 cups sweet corn kernels (fresh, grilled, or thawed frozen corn)
    • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
    • 1 cucumber, diced
    • ½ red bell pepper, diced
    • ¼ red onion, finely diced
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

    For the Dressing

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    Directions

    1. Prepare the Vegetables

    Wash and dry all vegetables thoroughly.

    Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion into bite-sized pieces.

    Chop the parsley and basil.

    If using fresh corn, remove the kernels from the cob.

    2. Build the Salad

    In a large bowl, combine the black-eyed peas, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, parsley, and basil.

    Gently toss until everything is evenly distributed.

    The colors alone should make you smile.

    3. Make the Dressing

    In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper.

    Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

    A little more lime for brightness.

    A little more honey if the vegetables need balance.

    4. Bring Everything Together

    Pour the dressing over the salad.

    Toss gently until every ingredient is lightly coated.

    Be careful not to overmix.

    The tomatoes will appreciate your patience.

    5. Rest Before Serving

    Allow the salad to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

    Not because it has to.

    Because it benefits from the pause.

    The flavors settle in and begin working together.

    What to Serve With It

    This salad was made for summer tables.

    Serve it alongside Peach BBQ Chicken and baked macaroni and cheese for a meal that feels both celebratory and familiar.

    The chicken brings sweetness and smoke.

    The macaroni and cheese brings comfort.

    The salad brings freshness and color.

    Each dish does something different.

    Together, they feel complete.

    From the Kitchen

    Black-eyed peas have long carried a reputation for luck and prosperity.

    Whether you believe that or not, I think something is comforting about foods that carry stories.

    Recipes are rarely just ingredients.

    They are memories.

    Traditions.

    Conversations passed from one generation to another.

    This salad is simple.

    A handful of vegetables.

    A few pantry staples.

    Nothing complicated.

    But sometimes the simplest dishes are the ones people return to for years.

    Not because they are fancy.

    Because they remind us of summer.

    And summers have a way of staying with us.

    Kyle J. Hayes

    kylehayesblog.com

    Please like, comment, and share

    Resources for Hard Times

    If you’re looking for practical help, food support, or community resources, you can visit the Salt, Ink & Soul Resources Page.

    👉 Resources for Hard Times