Recipe Exchange

• 8 slices of bacon
• 1 large onion
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 cans pidgeon peas
• 4 cups long grain rice
• 6 cups water
• 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper or 3 small Thai red peppers
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt

Cut bacon strips into 1' cubes and fry until brown. Pour off half of the resultant fat. Reserve the fried bacon. Chop the onion fine. Brown the onion lightly in the bacon fat. Add 1 cup of the water and the tomato paste. Boil for 2 minutes. Add the thyme leaves. Boil for 1 minute. Add the roux to the remaining water, which has been heated in a heavy 4 qt. casserole. Stir thoroughly then add the rice and stir. Add the peas and the reserved fried bacon bits and thoroughly mix in. Add salt and pepper and simmer covered for approximately 1 1/2 hrs or until rice is cooked. Serves 8.