succotash

succotash

Succotash is an American side dish that has its roots in Native American cooking. Although it doesn’t always show up on Thanksgiving tables these days, it was a classic Thanksgiving side long before the invention of green bean casserole. The word is derived from the Narragansett word sahquttahhash, which means "broken corn kernels".

Today, most people think of succotash as a mixture of corn and lima beans, but in actuality, different tribes used different vegetables in the mix. Cherokee versions often add pumpkin and meat, and sometimes nuts. One thing worth pointing out is that lima beans are not native to this country. In Plymouth, navy beans are used. Some historians believe that cranberry beans were originally used. Modern variations add all sorts of vegetables, such as squash, okra, tomatoes, and potatoes. What this means is that this is a dish that’s open to interpretation and it offers you all the poetic license your heart desires.

Corn and beans have a symbiotic relationship. Growing them together is perfect because corn takes nitrogen out of the soil, and beans put it back in. What’s more, when they’re together, they make a complete protein. So start with corn and beans and take it where you will. Tonight, I’m making it as part of my menu for Parasha Vayera.

And, this is how I make it, combining traditional ingredients with a few modern touches. I do tend to change it up from time to time. The amounts are approximate; make it your own.

Cooking the vegetables one at a time ensures that they’ll all cook to the correct degree of doneness.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup canned great northern beans

  • 1 cup frozen edamame or lima beans

  • 1 each, green bell pepper and red bell pepper, small dice

  • 1 medium sweet onion, small dice

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

  • 4 ears of fresh corn, cut from the cob, or 3—4 cups, canned

  • 1—2 small zucchini, cut in 4 lengthwise and then sliced into ¼” wedges

  • a few glugs of good olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ cup sliced basil

  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Method:

  • In a large skillet, warm a bit of the oil and add the zucchini wedges. Cook them over medium-high heat so that they brown quickly, then turn them and brown them on the other side. Remove them to a plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Note: It’s important to brown them quickly, before they give off too much of their moisture and turn mushy.

  • Add another glug of oil to the pan and add the corn kernels with a pinch of salt. Sauté until they begin to brown, then add them to the plate with the zucchini.

  • Add another glug of oil to the pan and sauté the tomatoes, with another pinch of salt, over high-ish heat until they begin to blister, then remove them to the plate with the zucchini and the corn.

  • Add a little more oil to the pan and add the onions and peppers. Sauté them over medium-low heat. The onions will turn translucent and the peppers will soften. Continue cooking until they’re lightly caramelized, then add in the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.

  • Add all the beans to the pan, along with the butter, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until they’re hot.

  • Add all the vegetables back in and toss until everything is nicely combined and hot, just a few more minutes.

  • Add the herbs and the black pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary, then remove the pan from the heat and turn the succotash into a serving dish. Finish with the vinegar and stir.