We're kicking off a new feature today, called "Your Questions." From time to time, people write to us asking for recipe ideas, advice on what to do with a particular ingredient, whether a given kitchen gadget is worth the hype, or what they should name their baby (just kidding! [But seriously, "Cecelia"]).
Got a question? Email us! We'll be happy to share our thoughts, and we'll do our best to find the answers for you.
Our first question comes from Katie & Scott in Lexington, Kentucky:
Dear Bitten Word Boys:My husband and I are totally obsessed with lima beans these days. Although some people might find lima beans repulsive, we personally think their starchy flavor and mushy consistency is delightful.Anywho, I'm getting a little bored with plain, cooked-from-frozen lima beans every other night. Any suggestions? Have you seen any interesting lima bean recipes in your foodie magazines? Thanks!
We love Limas, too! After the jump, some of our best Lima bean advice.
Here are six ideas about what you could do with Lima beans to mix them up a little bit.
First, a succotash. In case you're not familiar, a succotash is really any mixture of veggies, but it usually features Lima beans and corn. We made a succotash a while ago that actually called for green peas, but you could totally swap in Lima beans, and it would be delicious.
We love the idea of these Lemony Lima Beans with Parmesan from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (pictured above). Your Lima question inspired us and we actually made them last night. The lemon zest and juice really help to brighten them up as a side dish. We would have been just as happy without the Parmesan on top. If you love Parm, use it, but if not, it won't be missed here.
Though Lima beans are not the main ingredient in this dish, we've made this Chicken, Corn and Lima-Bean Stew at least a dozen times since Everyday Food first printed it back in 2005. It's a fantastic and easy stew. Shredded chicken thighs make it extremely flavorful and we always amp up both the amount of tomato paste and Lima beans. Make a big batch and freeze half (if you can keep from eating it all in the same week).
And although we've never made one ourselves, we've had a Lima bean puree in restaurants on a couple occasions. It's delicious! Here's a Lima Bean Puree recipe from Bon Appétit that sounds simple but very tasty.
We're also really into the notion of combining mint with Lima beans. Maybe in a puree, or maybe in those Lemony Limas. But there's something about a mint-and-Lima combo that sounds really great to us.
Finally, if you're a fan of Lima beans, you should treat yourself to an order from Rancho Gordo, a specialty foods purveyor in Napa, California, featuring heirloom varieties of beans, corn, grains and spices. Their Christmas lima beans are beautiful and delicious.
Do you have a favorite Lima bean dish to suggest to Katie? Leave it in the comments!
And if you have a question for us, please send us an email!
