When I harvested my Jackson Wonder lima beans, I was a bit disappointed by the yield, but I loved looking at the beautiful purple mottling on the beans.

Jackson Wonder fresh lima beans

I wanted to stretch them, so I decided to make succotash.

I used some ham trimmings,1 tablespoon butter, 1 minced  garlic clove, 1/4 cup diced onion, 3/4 cup chopped bell and banana peppers, 1 cup diced tomatoes, and 1/2 cup corn, and 1 cup fresh shelled lima beans. Remember, don’t throw away the pods once you are done shelling the beans- turn them into compost!

Feel free to adapt the vegetables selections to make the best use of what you are harvesting.

Saute the onions and garlic in the ham trimmings and butter over medium heat, then add the lima beans and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add a splash of water or stock to deglaze the pan as needed.

Your home will begin to fill with smells of yumminess. Never throw away those random ham trimmings, they are great seasoning!

Add the vegetables and cook until soft. The flavors will begin to mix together. The smoky ham will share its flavor with the sweet corn, and the garden-fresh tomatoes will become even sweeter.

After about 5 minutes, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

In a single bite, you can taste garden freshness-tangy tomatoes, sweet corn, smoky ham, and of course meaty lima beans.

This dish makes all the space that I allotted to grow the lima beans worth it.

I recommend that you serve this succotash with homemade biscuits slathered with  Easy Two Ingredient Strawberry Jam for a garden-fresh summer dinner.

This succotash is savory and easy-I wish that I had some left for you to try. We ate it all! 🙂