Succotash

As we enjoy the last few whispers of summer, let’s take advantage of all the fresh available garden produce. Since I crave a side of veggies with every meal, it’s easy to get into a rut of eating the same salad/side dish over and over again. That shouldn’t be the case, since there are so many different varieties of veggies available. Here is a variation of a warm side dish that you can tweak according to what you have available at the time.

Succotash was first prepared by the Native Americans and later adopted and well loved by the early pioneers. It was made with corn, beans and squash, since these were the vegetables that they grew at that time. They even called them “the 3 sisters”. Anyway, as long as you have the corn, beans and squash, the rest of the ingredients are optional, although I think they make it all the more delicious.

Not only is this a brilliant side dish to use up all your summer garden veggies, but it’s also something you can enjoy all year round. Yep. I don’t know about you, but in my case, just because it’s winter doesn’t mean that I want summer veggies any less. Even though it won’t be as 100% fresh and vibrant as when you’re using fresh picked, from the garden vegetables, you can make Succotash all year round by using frozen or canned veggies and still get a pretty good knock off, when you’re tired of creamy soups, hearty casseroles and root vegetables. 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 cup green beans, cup into 1 1/2 inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small bell pepper, chopped

1/4-1/2 cup water or broth

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes)

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 cup lima beans, fresh or frozen

2 cups corn, fresh or frozen

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.  Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is tender.

Add the green beans, garlic and the bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze the skillet with water or broth, cover the skillet and cook for 3-5 more minutes, until the green beans have softened but are still vibrant green.

Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the zucchini, lima beans and corn.

Season with salt and pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until all the vegetables are cooked to your liking.