Warm Southernpea, Fennel, and Tomato “Salad”

Not exactly a salad or a side dish, this mélange plays both roles. (For a more salad-like look, serve on small mustard and spinach leaves.) Cowpeas are tossed with a mix of barely wilted fennel strips, tomato, and red onion, and sharpened with mustard seeds. When the dish is freshly made, the peas contrast with the crisp vegetables; reheated, the textures and colors become more uniform and the effect is more starchy, less vegetably—but just as tasty.