Succotash was originally a nutritional powerhouse for North American natives. It is a broth, long-simmered dish defined by two key ingredients: dried corn, hulled by soaking in wood ash lye (now called whole corn or pozole) And dried beans. On this delicious background, a variety of fish, shellfish, meat, roots, nuts, fruits and leaves are spread; the result of boiling in a kettle will never be exactly the same twice.

As a person who studies the history of food to understand cultural changes, I developed this special version of the recipe as a practical exercise of imagination, exploring the early British colonists, who themselves were an avid broth cooker, when accepting this indigenous food May produce results and season them with their own condiments and decorations.

My passion for succotash is because some of my neighbors in Plymouth, Massachusetts still eat specific versions of this ancient dish and find meaning in it. This plant-based succotash is full of autumn ingredients, however, it is nothing like that! The great flexibility of this concept proves-once you put the corn and beans in the kettle, the rest is completely up to you, you can rustle in the garden, woods, farmers market or your own imagination.

Tips: You can make the perfect succotash on the stove, but please try to stir it in an outdoor stove or fireplace for an unforgettable experience and a good introduction to the fun of real-fire cooking. All you need is a heavy pot-cast iron is ideal-and a few bricks. Place the bricks on the edge of a stable place near the fire, far enough apart to support the pot. Then use a shovel or poker to drag a large amount of coal underneath. Keep the main fire burning so that you can replenish coal as needed. Regardless of the heating technique, the recipe is the same.

Exchange option: You can omit all ingredients except husk corn, beans, and water, and still call it succotash. Create your own signed version!

Learn more about outdoor cooking in my book "Cooking with Fire".

In a large saucepan, stir together the pre-cooked polenta and the pre-cooked beans. If the included cooking liquid does not cover it completely, fill it up with water-beans and corn should be submerged about an inch. Add a teaspoon of salt and heat it on the stove over medium heat, or better yet, place it on a mild fire in the fireplace or fire pit.

Once the mixture is boiling, add radishes, carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, kale or vegetables, and onions or leeks. Cook until the vegetables are tender (this may take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the ingredients you choose).

Add chopped tender vegetables (lettuce, spinach, radicchio, radicchio, arugula), nuts/seeds and green onions or chives, then simmer. Season with pepper and correct the salt.

Stir calendula petals and chopped vanilla before serving.