Sufferin' Succotash

Some of you may know this pleasant vegetable side dish, as a melange of greyish vegetables, a lima bean chucked in for good measure, tumbling out of a can. But what I am talking about is the bourgie succotash, sweet corn, some lively red bell pepper, and buttery fava beans, all sauteed together, dancing quickly in the pan, so each vegetable maintains its own flavor. A true summertime side dish, with a little bit of everything: you've got your protein from the favas, veggies from the peppers, and starch from the corn. I love it when everything works out just so.


Originally succotash was just a dish of stewed corn and some type of legume (usually lima beans), sometimes including a smoked meat product (often times bear) eaten by the Native Americans. The dish derives its name not from Tweety Bird, but from msickquatash, the Narraganset word meaning boiled kernels of corn. Today, succotash is mainly eaten along the East Coast of this country, and throughout the South, and contains many different ingredients, but always corn.

The bourgie succotash is none too wild, a simple, down-home dish (as down-home as one can get in Berkeley, CA). The main difference in my recipe is the inclusion of fava beans, those lovely, fresh legumes that are only available in spring and summer times. I know, they are time consuming, slippery little buggers, requiring a double shuck, but I think they are well worth the effort. When that almost chartreuse bean, pops out of its hard, beige exterior, giving a smooth, crisp flavor to a dish, it all seems almost worthwhile. But for those of you who simply won't be bothered, or cannot get fava beans in your neck of the woods, lima beans or butter beans are a good substitute.


Corn is by far the star of this dish. Kernels sliced straight from the cob, then flash sauteed in order to maintain their delicate sweetness, make this side dish the perfect answer to the perennial question, "What's for dinner?" Sometimes it is the most simple of dishes that are utterly pleasing. With the bounty of fresh vegetables available right now, why not mix them all up to make one perfect accoutrement. After all "5 a day for proper nutrition," so two vegetables are always better then one. If you would like my recipe for succotash, it's on the Daily Specials page of this site.