Sufferin Succotash!

Last summer I got very into succotash and this summer is proving to be no different.  And like any self respecting culinary student that now knows so much about Boston baked beans, I had to see where this dish came from. 

The word succotash comes from the Narraganset word msikwatash meaning 'ear of corn' and is believed to be one of the first dishes the Algonquin Indians taught the settlers at Plymouth Rock. This simple side dish is said to have been enjoyed at the first Thanksgiving and became a staple of colonial cooking.  Due to the readily available and inexpensive ingredients, it was also a popular dish during the Depression. 

What constitutes a "proper" succotash has been the subject of much debate over the years, but primarily it contains corn and shell beans (lima, cranberry, etc).  As always, fresh beans work best, but I always have frozen on hand for when the succotash mood hits.

Most regions in the US have thier own versions of this, and you can have just as many in your own kitchen.

I read about 20 recipes for succotash last week.  The list of additional ingredients read like a list of someones refrigerator: tomatoes, okra, green chilis, red pepper, onions, and ham.  One recipe even omitted the beans (really Rachel Ray?!?!?!).  Personally, I like to add jalapenos and bacon, but to each his or her own.

This is the basic recipe that I start with and can be built off of very easily.  Omit/add what you would like, just please leave the corn and beans in the recipe.  One Rachel Ray is more then enough. 

• 1/4 lb sliced bacon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 ears corn, kernels cut off and cobs discarded
• 1 large fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 (10-oz) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed

Cook bacon in a large skillet over moderate heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, leaving fat in skillet. 

Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.  Stir in corn, jalapeño, lima beans, (and whatever other veggies you are adding) stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add salt/pepper and vinegar to taste.  Serve succotash with bacon crumbled over or stir back in to pan at end of cooking. 

So do yourself a favor this summer.  Grab some fresh corn, some beans and create your own personal succotash.  It's a simple, delicious way to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer and fall.