Beans, beans, the colorful fruit …

So I’ve changed the name of this feature to “This month’s recipe” because it looks like I might only have time to update it once a month, not weekly. I promise, I do cook a lot more than that, but usually not something new or interesting enough for me to post about.

My last experiment was quick and easy, a dish that truly belongs on a blog about living in the Northeast: Succotash. The word “succotash” comes from the Narragansett Indians, and it’s considered a traditional New England dish.

The succotash I made pretty closely follows this version of Mohegan succotash presented by Native American Netroots, with the addition of kidney beans for color and a few sprigs of thyme (since I’d be missing out if I didn’t exploit my fresh herb garden at every opportunity).

Summer succotash

1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 bag (16 oz.) of lima beans, frozen
1 bag (16 oz.) corn, frozen
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 bunches of green onions, chopped
5 sprigs of thyme, removed from the stem
1/4 c. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the lima beans, corn and chopped bell pepper until the pepper is soft. Drain excess water and place the pot back on the burner. Reduce heat to low, add the butter and melt slowly. Stir in the kidney beans, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for five more minutes on low.