Succotash with Green Beans

Do you know what succotash is? If you asked me this question a few days ago, I would have said, "What? Like 'suffering succotash'? That's what Sylvester the cat says on Looney Tunes."

Turns out succotash is also a vegetable dish.

According to Wikipedia (my trusted source for all essential information), succotash is "a food dish consisting primarily of corn and lima beans and other shell beans." Since most of the ingredients are pretty cheap, succotash was popular during the Great Depression. Well, folks back then ate pretty well despite the dire circumstances of their bank accounts. Succotash is good!

I stumbled on a recipe for this delectable side when I was combing epicurious.com for a new way to use green beans. Although green beans are not corn or lima beans or other shell beans, I'm glad my search resulted in this recipe. The husband and I gulped it down like it was going out of style.

And neither of us suffered. Not one bit.

Succotash with Green Beans
Adapted from epicurious.com
Serves: 4-6

8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and halved
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed
1 cup corn kernels*
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 4 minutes, until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge the green beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans and saute 1 minute. Add lima beans and corn and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in Old Bay. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Since it's March, I just used frozen corn that I'd thawed. But I can just imaging how delicious it would be in August with corn cut straight from the cob.