Poor succotash. It’s so underrated. It deserves better notoriety. I mean, how many times have you seen a casserole of succotash gracing the cover of
Martha Stewart Living?
Or even Taste of Home. I checked
Southern Living which is where I fully expected to find one. Nope. Nada. Not as far as I could find. I say that it’s time succotash got its fair share of the Thanksgiving menu.
You do remember Thanksgiving with succotash, don’t you?
Traditionally, succotash is a combination of fresh lima beans and corn. Its name comes from the Narragansett Indian tribe and is translated as “boiled whole kernels of corn.” In all probability, the Pilgrims’ version likely contained some form of wild game and additional vegetables. There may have been fresh herbs and vegetables such as turnips, squash, potatoes, sorrel, leeks, onions, yarrow, carrots, watercress and others.
Corn was certainly a staple of the Pilgrim diet and was, therefore, eaten at most meals in some form or another. Combining it with other vegetables was common.
Throughout the nation’s history, succotash was typically found on dinner tables throughout the United States in one form or another. It was a dish of survival not only during Colonial America but during the Great Depression as well. According to
Holly Grove Market and Farm, “…each version of succotash may tell a story: the settlement of the Americas, the struggle for food, and a bit of history about each region changed its recipe based on transition (Great Depression), celebration (settlement), and a type of Thanksgiving (the struggle). What ever the case may be, it is a plate of cultural anthropology, a taste of history.
The variations are myriad. The name is dependent upon location and occasion. From the “Dinner on the Grounds Church Pot Luck” to the finest of five-star restaurants, there’s succotash to be found. I found mine at my grandmother’s table.
Succotash – The Way I Remember It
2 cups fresh (or frozen) baby lima beans
2 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup chopped Vidalia or red onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup water
1/3 – 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
Cook lima beans in boiling, salted water until tender. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the onion and bell peppers in the butter until tender. Add in the corn kernels and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes (do not thaw before cooking), stirring several times.
Add the water and thyme to the corn mixture along with the lima beans, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes. Add the halved cherry tomatoes if using and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.
Stir in the cream and heat thoroughly. Do not boil.
The succotash can be prepared ahead of time prior to adding the cream. When ready to serve, reheat over low heat and then add the cream. Check for seasoning.
I use any leftovers to make chicken or turkey pot pie.
You can substitute vegetable or chicken stock for the cream, but the flavor will not be as rich.
During the summer, I make this up to the point of adding the tomatoes. I chill the bean-corn mixture, add the tomatoes and serve as a salad. It also works well as the filling for a large beefsteak tomato.
Succotash. It’s not just for Thanksgiving.
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I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten it which is amazing because I love corn and beans and all things high fiber!
Think my hubby would love this. I’m gonna have to try it!
This looks wonderful – mom Mom never made it but my grandma did and I always loved it. I’d love for you to share this at Tuesday’s Table for the Holidays – http://zentmrs.blogspot.com/2012/11/tuesdays-table-time-for-holidays.html
I’ve never had succotash, but it looks delicious! I love traditional recipes!