Lima Bean

For cool contrast to the spicy soup, serve an orange, red onion and avocado salad sprinkled with ground cumin, fresh lime juice and olive oil. Complete the main course with corn bread, and end with vanilla pudding topped with cocoa powder and chopped pecans.

Try this with ciabatta or whole wheat bread.

Slightly sweet, fresh ricotta, which can be found in many Italian markets, makes this starter especially delicious. Regular ricotta also works well.

The vegetables can be prepared ahead and finished up to the middle of step 3. Heat for 5 minutes before serving.

If you prep all the ingredients ahead of time, this dish takes only minutes to cook.

Oxtail stew is a popular dish in Jamaica. Here's a recipe from Geva's in San Francisco that adds lima beans and a touch of heat from jalapeño chilies for a terrific rendition.

Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon are good served alongside. Pour a Zinfandel, Syrah or Chardonnay during the meal.

This recipe originally accompanied Roast Turkey with Bourbon Glaze . Here are two southern favorites in one colorful stuffing. Prepare the corn bread one day ahead so that it can dry out overnight. (This lends a nice texture to the stuffing.)

Ragoût de petits L
égumes au Parmesan et Vinaigre Balsamique Also nice as a meatless entrée—with some crusty French bread, of course.

If you have cooked lamb, beef, or turkey on hand, use it instead of the chicken.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Succotash is a corn and bean dish introduced to the early settlers by Indians. The Yankees most likely used local cranberry beans, a kind of shell bean, but lima beans have become the preferred, readily available substitute. We've also added tomatoes for their bright color and fresh flavor, even though they probably did not enter the New England culinary mainstream until the nineteenth century.

Serve these beans with bread to sop up the juices.

A spicy spin on the classic side dish. Any leftovers make an excellent omelet filling when paired with turkey and Monterey Jack cheese.

Make this at least one day and up to two days ahead for best flavor. This is a much simplified version of the classic smoked meat and bean cassoulet.

This light starter reinvents the classic side dish of lima beans and corn.