Cookbooks for the Summer Harvest

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SMOKY CORN SUCCOTASH

Reprinted with permission from Recipes from America's Small Farms: Fresh Ideas for the Season's Bounty (Villard, 2003) by Joanne Hayes, Lori Stein, and Maura Webber.

Serves 6

2 cups fresh shelled cranberry beans (from 1-1/2 pounds)
6 ears fresh corn, husks removed
3 medium tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 cups diced red onions
3/4 cup chopped green onions
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Place the beans in a large pot. Add enough water to cover them by one inch and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer for about one hour. The beans should be soft and creamy but still separate and intact. Watch carefully that they do not burn, adding more water, if necessary as the beans cook. There should be at least one cup of liquid remaining in the pot when the beans are cooked. The beans can be made a few hours in advance and gently reheated in their liquid.

Preheat the grill. Place the ears on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until they just start to turn brown around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Let the corn cool. Holding the corn in a large bowl, run a sharp knife along the cobs to cut away all the kernels, then run the back of the knife along the cobs to scrape the liquid into the bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the diced onions and chopped green onions in separate serving bowls.

When ready to serve, put the beans, one cup of the reserved cooking liquid and two tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl. Place the corn, their juice, and the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts and the corn is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve the bowls of vegetables while the beans and corn are still warm. Let people assemble their own plates of succotash to taste.

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