not so suffering succotash

grilled vegetables clutter the plate with goodness

I’m not a practicing vegan or even vegetarian, but I do adore vegetables, especially when they're roasted so become all caramelized and perfect.  When a heat wave like we’ve been experiencing  hits – high 90’s, closing in on 100 degrees, which I know is normal for some parts of the country, but not so much for Oregon in early July – my cooking is taken outside.  The faithful grill becomes my BFF, furnishing me mind-blowing vegetables, but with a smoky essence as an added flavor stamp.

Last week was the Fourth of July and I needed a couple of side dishes to take to a family BBQ blow-out of sparklers, fireworks and piles of grilled goodness.  We’re talking ribs, burgers, dogs, chicken; it was a meatatarian’s utopia.  Enter my plant-based food to tame the carnivores.

I’d been to my favorite farmer’s stand which meant the kitchen was cluttered with heaps of vegetables; ears of silky corn, assorted zucchini, sweet Walla Walla onions and a couple of not-from-my-area avocados.  Hey, California is on the west coast, so I consider them semi-local.  I also had fresh basil on hand, as well as some really nice Parmesan cheese. Brilliance struck; corn plus the other edibles equals a riff on succotash.

Succotash means “broken kernels,” in Naragansett, a language of indigenous people who lived in New England.   The main ingredients in succotash are corn and lima beans, or another form of shell beans.  Pairing grains and legumes meant a highly nutritious meal that was relatively inexpensive.  It saw many a family through the Great Depression.

green and yellow zucchini + corn complete with browned bits

What I did:

The corn was roasted whole, while the zucchini and onions where diced, bathed with olive oil, salt and pepper and tossed into a grill basket.  All met with fire and smoke for about 45 minutes; achieving that longed for char.  

After allowing the corn to cool, the toasty kernels were sliced off the cobs.  To accomplish this feat without the kernels bouncing all over the kitchen, stand the cob up in a large bowl and carefully slice down.  Even though there will be an escapee or two, most of the golden nuggets will tumble in the bowl.

To finish off this vegetable star in a meat-based show, the grill-roasted zucchini and onions were mixed with the corn.  This trio was bright, but then came the magnum opus:  creamy avocado, tatters of fresh basil and shreds of Parmesan cheese; gently seasoned with olive oil and garlic granules.  Needless to say, this sort-of succotash was devoured, the plate almost being licked clean.

One of the coolest things about a dish like this is it doesn’t require a guideline-enforced recipe.  Grill what’s in season.  Put it together like a mix-tape, blend in a handful of herbs and remember the avocado.  I know the saying is “everything is better with bacon,” and I do agree, but avocado is right up there.

Missy

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