Summer Succotash

Name: Summer Succotash
Ingredients: 2 cups (about 1/2 pound) shelled fresh or frozen butter beans; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 Vidalia or other sweet white onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced; 2 summer squash (such as yellow crookneck or zucchini), diced; 4 ears corn, shucked; 2 tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

10 ingredients

12 steps

Ingredients

2 cups (about 1/2 pound) shelled fresh or frozen butter beans
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Vidalia or other sweet white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 summer squash (such as yellow crookneck or zucchini), diced
4 ears corn, shucked
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Directions

1

Rinse and drain the beans, discarding any blemished beans or bits of pod.
2

Place the beans and 4 cups of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming foam from the top as needed.
3

Add salt and black pepper to taste and simmer until the beans are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.
4

Rinse and drain well.
5

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100).
6

Add the onion and cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes.
7

Add the bell pepper and continue to cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes longer, until crisp-tender.
8

Add the summer squash and cook until tender and golden around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes longer.
9

While the squash are cooking, cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife to release the juices into the bowl.
10

Add the butter beans, corn kernels and their juices, tomatoes, and butter to the skillet, season with salt and black pepper to taste, and continue to cook just until the tomatoes begin to break down and the corn is tender, about 3 minutes.
11

Stir in the basil and serve warm or at room temperature.
12

Succotashs buttery flavor and texture make it hearty enough to double as a vegetarian entree spooned over Carolina Gold Rice (page 215) or Creamy Cheese Grits (page 208), but it also makes a great side for Spicy Pepper JellyMarinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin (page 163) or Easy Crab Cakes (page 111).