Succotash is a wonderful dish to make in late summer. Traditionally it is made with corn and a legume, often lima or other broad beans.  I like to use green beans due to their incredible abundance in the Midwest.

Ingredients:

• 4 whole ears of corn, cut off the cob
• 1 lb. green beans, trimmed, cut to ½” sections, quickly blanched
• 2 strips of bacon (optional)
• Olive oil as needed
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 small bell pepper, diced
• 1 small tomato, diced
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 mint leaves, chopped
• 3 basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Chop or dice ingredients as directed keeping each ingredient separate. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

• Cook bacon in a skillet large enough to hold all the ingredients.  Cook over low to medium heat, rendering the bacon until it begins to get crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the fat. 

• Add corn to the skillet.  Increase the heat to medium/medium high and cook until corn has a bit of color.  Remove corn from the skillet, set aside. 

• Add oil and onions to the skillet, sauté until softened and have a touch of color.  Add garlic and cook off the raw garlic smell.   Add diced peppers, corn, green beans and diced tomatoes.  Season with salt.

• Remove from heat. Add the chopped herbs and butter to finish.

Tips:

• Serve as a vegetable side dish or treat it like a relish and serve on top of a grilled protein.  Serve over creamy grits for a hearty, and relatively healthy side dish.

• Versatility: If you don’t like peppers or tomatoes, omit them from the recipe. Or add mushrooms, if desired.

• Vegan version:   Omit butter and bacon and substitute with olive oil.

• Use other herbs for the parsley, mint and basil. 

• Substitute the seasonal vegetables the farmers bring each week. Watch this dish evolve as you go from peak summer toward fall.  A weekly “succotash night” will tell the story of the season.