While the dish is often associated with the South, it is in fact a Native American specialty, one of the many ways to dress up “The Three Sisters” (corn, beans and squash, grown in association with each other for practical reasons).
For more recipes, especially with stories of Adirondack history, outdoor traditions, seasonal ingredients, campfire cooking, and the enduring connection between food and place, check out Adirondack Appetite: 150 Recipes for Cabin, Camp & Beyond from Susi Gott Séguret.
Skillet Succotash Recipe
- A couple of ears of fresh garden corn
- A cup or so of any kind of beans (limas, greasies, green beans, soybeans, etc.) or field peas
- 1 diced fresh zucchini or yellow crookneck (optional)
- 1 diced red bell pepper
- 1 diced onion
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh oregano or thyme or sage
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat for sautéing
Cut corn off the cob (it can be precooked or raw). Dice onion and bell pepper. String or shell beans, and if using green beans, cut into half-inch segments on the bias.
Sauté chopped onion in a little bit of oil or fat, then add corn and beans, and simmer in a bit of broth or water, covered until almost tender.
Add zucchini (if using) and pepper, herbs and spices, and continue to simmer just a bit longer, leaving the last two vegetable additions al dente.
Serve alongside a pork chop or sausage, or whatever else might be on your table, or spoon on top of a heap of pasta. You can garnish with a small grating of parmesan if you want to be fancy, but this dish doesn’t need any more embellishment. Enjoy with a summer rosé or a local brew.
