SUCCOTASH, NORTHWEST STYLE

Classic succotash is a mix of cooked, sautéed lima beans with fresh corn. Lima beans don’t do very well in our cool Willamette Valley Oregon summers, so we have to improvise. Fresh cranberry beans, beans shucked from Kentucky Wonder pole beans or other string beans (butter beans) or fresh edamame work very well as lima bean substitutes. Here is my version.

3        cups fresh beans, boiled until tender
3        cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears of corn)
1        sweet red pepper cut into ¼ by 1-inch strips
1        jalapeno pepper, membrane & seeds removed, chopped fine
3        cloves garlic, minced
2        tablespoons butter
2        tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
          salt and pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, sauté the garlic and jalapeno in the butter and oil over low heat until the garlic turns translucent and perfumes your kitchen. Add the corn and sauté until the corn is cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Then add the beans and sweet pepper. Continue sautéing until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Optional: You may add a cup of peeled chopped eggplant or chopped carrots along with the garlic and hot pepper. You may also add a cup of chopped summer squash at the end with the beans and sweet pepper.