Spring Succotash

Spring Succotash

Ingredients

§                       4-5 tablespoons olive oil

§                       2 cups shucked and shelled fava beans* (can substitute fresh or frozen lima beans or peas)

§                       2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)

§                       2 diced carrots

§                       2-3 chopped spring onions

§                       2 tablespoons chopped mint or parsley

§                       Juice of a lemon

§                       Salt to taste

* To get 2 cups of shelled fava beans, start with 3 lbs of whole fava beans. Working over a large bowl, remove the outer shell by bending a pod near one of the beans, cracking the pod and then squeezing the bean with your fingers to shoot it into the bowl. Once you have filled your bowl, take the beans and boil them in salted water for 5 minutes. Shock them in ice water to preserve their bright green color. Then peel off the outer peel of the bean.

Method

1 Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan – large enough to hold all of the vegetables and the ham. Add the ham and the carrots and sauté, stirring from time to time, until the ham begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

2 Add the corn and spring onions and toss to combine. Saute for another 2 minutes.

3 Add the fava beans, which already have been blanched, and cook for one more minute. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, and taste for salt. You might not need any because the ham is salty. Cover the pot and let it sit for 2 minutes, to steam.

Toss in the mint and serve hot or at room temperature.