Southern Maryland Meats

Succotash

Topic and Skill – Selecting vegetables and herbs and quick sautéing (Episode #12)

One of my fundamental principles about food is to buy the best, freshest ingredients from places as close to you as possible with growing/raising practices that are respectful to the environment and animals as possible, and then, to the best of my ability stay out of their way and let them speak for themselves. No doubt there are times for fancy sauces, but the best recipes are those that enhance the flavors and edibility of the ingredients and allow them to linger in your mouth and exact the greatest taste and nutrition.

This succotash recipe is a great example of using ingredients picked at the height of their local season, then lightly cooked and seasoned which brings out each ingredient’s unique flavor. When tasted together, the sum of the ingredients is far greater than each individual ingredient.

The following recipe uses bacon for flavor and for the fat the vegetables are cooked in. If a vegetarian dish is desired, simply omit the bacon and add your choice of 2 tablespoons of olive oil or Canola oil.

The recipe cooks quickly and reheats well for leftovers the next day.

Ingredients

4 ears corn, kernels cut off, cob scraped
¼ lb local smoked sliced bacon
½ lb okra, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices
1 small onion, chopped
1 large fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 lb baby lima beans
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ lb cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup basil, chiffonade
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, to taste

Directions

Cook bacon in a large skillet on moderate heat until almost crisp.

Add onion to skillet and cook on moderate heat, stirring, until softened.

Add garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Stir in corn, jalapeño, lima beans, okra, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.

Add vinegar, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Use vinegar sparingly (you can always add, you can never take away.)