Here’s a repost from 2008. I think this would make a great Christmas dinner side dish! – Steve
I was eating some Christmas Limas and I was thinking about how great they’d be as a side dish with a big steak. Then I started thinking about how well they hold up and how I’m so boring with my squeeze of lime and chopped raw onions as a topping. I dared myself and this is what happened.
I cooked the limas all day in the crockpot with onion, garlic and some olive oil. I kept the heat on, salted the beans and lifted the lid while I prepared the sauce, hoping to reduce and intensify the liquid a little bit.
For the sauce, I sauteed some cubed pancetta in a little olive oil along with some onions and garlic. I then added some half and half and a big, well, huge, pat of gorgonzola cheese. You could use any blue cheese. I whisked them all together and reduced the sauce until it coated the back of a wooden spoon.
I drained the beans and added them to the sauce and let them get to know each other for a few minutes, but not too long. I like the contrast of the relatively bland beans with the intensity of the blue cheese sauce. Internet friends, I fully intended to bring this to the warehouse the next day so the staff could share but by the end of the evening, I’d had thirds and there was none left to bring in.
Whatever bean I just happened to make ends up being my favorite until I make a new one, but I have to say, Christmas Limas have staying power. They’re starchy like a chestnut but they have a meaty goodness that’s hard to resist and they’re nothing like those disgusting frozen things your mother tried to force you to eat. And really, they’re great with just my usual lime and onions, but sometimes you need to go to town.
Can’t decide among Christmas limas, ojo de cabra, and good mother Stallard. They’re definitely my three favorites! And yellow eye for baked beans, of course, and imagine for chowders if I get around to making a bean chowdah some day (hey, I’m from Maine).
Got a Rancho Gordo gift box for Christmas and had to cook some beans right away! I whipped up a batch of Christmas Lentils with some paprika bacon, onion, cumin, 4 roasted Hatch green chilies and stock reserved from the last time I braised ox tails. They went into the crock pot and were ready for Christmas dinner. These beans are divine.
Due to Emerils visit and his assurance that I would like the lima bean, I tried the Christmas limas. I’ve always hated them. I have’t eaten dead mammals for over 15 years. My taste buds may be off, but…..these beans tasted like little chunks of beef. I even added them to an Orzo, cream,lemon basil dish I made pursuant to a recipe from Kelsey’s essentials. WOW