Recipe: Garden Butter Beans (Cajun-style, using fresh or frozen lima beans)

GARDEN BUTTER BEANS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1/4 cup seeded and chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup seeded and chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes
1 pound baby limas, fresh or frozen
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco brand pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery; and cook, stirring occasionally; until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally; for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, limas, and garlic, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally:

Add the 1 1/2 cups water, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally; for 30 minutes.

Add the salt, sugar, Tabasco, and black pepper, and stir to mix. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Take the egg yolk and, with the tips of your fingers, grab the white nodule that is located around it, slip the pocket off, and let the yolk fall into a small bowl. Beat the yolk, then add the flour and beat again to blend. Add 1 tablespoon of the liquid from the bean pot and whisk to blend. Slowly add the mixture to the pot and stir. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Source: Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen by Eula Mae Dore, Marcelle R. Bienvenu