summer succotash

2 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. fresh okra, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 ears of corn, husked
1 lb. fresh lima beans (or use frozen but thawed)
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
2 large tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
Handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
Handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

STEP 1
In a large skillet, heat the bacon fat or olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until soften. While the onion is cooking, cut the corn kernels off the cobs and and use the back of a knife to scrape down the cobs in order to get the “milk” off. Set these aside.

STEP 2
Add the okra to the skillet; cook 3 minutes. Add the garlic, corn (plus its milk), lima beans, a big pinch of salt and few grinds of pepper to the skillet. Sauté another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the vinegar and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan; cook another minute.

STEP 3
Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and add another pinch of salt. Cook another minute, then turn off the heat and add in the lemon juice. Gently stir in the herbs. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ideally, serve with pork chops or a pork tenderloin for a delicious summer meal.

FYI: You can use any fresh summer vegetables for this dish, such as substituting zucchini or eggplant for the okra, or zipper peas instead of lima beans. This dish can be made ahead of time but wait to add the tomatoes and fresh herbs until right before serving.