Thufferin' thuccotash

Yesterday, Liz-of-the-barley and I were talking about what we were going to be making for our respective dinners last night. (Food is a popular topic of conversation around these parts.) We were both thinking something in the vegetable soup vein, IMing links to promising  recipes back and forth to each other, I was expressing proper (and entirely sincere) envy at her stash of dried porcinis from the Carpathian Mountains, sent by Otto's (her Ukrainian boyfriend, original instigator of all things barley) father, when I suddenly remembered lima beans.

I really like lima beans.  And I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten any.

So I decided that whatever I made, lima beans would be involved. And where thoughts of lima beans go, ideas of succotash generally follow. (yes? too much of a stretch?) Since I had some running around to do after work and knew I wouldn't get home until 8:30 or so, I wanted to keep it simple. The recipe could stand a little tweaking, but it was quick to make and tasty, a very easy weeknight dinner that provided enough left over for several days' lunches.

A note about the tomatoes: my grocery store, for whatever reason, hates me and refuses to offer me options for unadulterated canned tomatoes. It was extremely difficult to find them free of chilis or basil or other weirdness. And even harder to find them in juice instead of puree. I was limited to small cans of an off brand. If your grocery store loves you and stocks diced tomatoes in juice without schmutz, that'll save you a step. Instead of chopping whole tomatoes, I just squish them through my fingers into the pot. It's faster and kind of fun, plus you don't lose any juice.

Also, I abandoned my usual MO and cooked the pasta in the broth because I was too lazy to get out another pot. Which would eventually have to be washed! The horror! It's a false economy though, because this morning when I dished out a portion to bring for lunch, the pasta had absorbed most of the broth and were softer than I'd like. Still, if you just can't be arsed to cook the pasta separately, don't worry about it. I wrote up the recipe for the way I did it, not the way I'd suggest you'd do it. And if you're cooking for more than one person, you probably won't have enough left over to worry about.

FYI, that beer, while very delicious, is less of a beverage and more of a side dish.

Succotash Soup

1 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small cans (or one large) whole tomatoes in juice
1 pkg. frozen corn
1 pkg. frozen lima beans
6 c. broth
1 c. elbows or other small pasta
half and half or cream

Saute the onion in butter on medium heat until softened. Add garlic and cook for two minutes or so. Squish the tomatoes through your fingers into the pan to crush them and add the juice from the cans. Add the lima beans, corn and broth. When soup is boiling, turn down heat and add the pasta. When pasta is cooked, you're done. Salt to taste and add a splash of half and half or cream to the bowl if you like.

Comments

[Jenny]

Did you ever try Brunswick Stew? It's pretty similar to what you made here, but with chicken instead of pasta. Here's cooking light's version: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1662875
I don't bother with the cooking spray business, and I use a diced potato to thicken mine instead of flour, but they're on the right track.

[Kate]

Does your grocery store take requests? The local (ugh) Safeway looks at me like I'm crazy when I ask for "exotic" items like Dutch Process Cococa, but my little old urban grocery in Oakland was always super nice about stocking stuff that people asked for.

There should be an amendment in the constitution bestowing the right for all of us to have plain canned tomatoes, preferably Muir Glen Organic, at all times! :)

[carolyn]

that looks yummy!