Place dried black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover generously with filtered water. Allow to soak for six hours, then drain and place in a large pot.

Cover with enough water so that the water level is 2" above the black-eyed peas. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Check to see if they are as tender as you like them, and if not, simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

When the black-eyed peas have finished cooking, drain and set them aside.

If serving with rice, rinse 1/4 cup of rice per person, then place in a pot with twice as much water as rice and 1/8 teaspoon of salt per 1/4 cup of rice. Place lid on pot and bring to a boil and turn down to lowest setting to simmer until rice has absorbed all the water. Then, turn off heat, leave lid on pot and let sit until the chili is ready.

Meanwhile, rinse and dry pot that black-eyed peas were cooked in, pour in olive oil, and set over low/medium heat. When oil is hot, sauté diced onion until turning golden brown, and then add the green pepper.

Cover the pot with a lid until the green pepper has softened a bit, then add the crushed tomatoes and seasonings and stir.

Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the cooked black-eyed peas and continue to simmer until black-eyed peas are heated and green pepper is cooked through, approximately 15 minutes.

Serve with the cooked rice (a topping of sour cream and/or grated cheese is also a tasty!).