Fresh Lima Bean Gratin

I was not able to get lima beans planted this year and I have been really missing having had a lima bean harvest. So, when Cam and I went to the farm store, we both jumped on the bushels of lima beans. Now that I have so many beans in my refrigerator, I need to shell them and figure out new ways to use them (although I am always tempted to do my ‘never say never again’ lima beans, we all love it).

I made a dent in the beans today with this gratin. It needed 4 cups of shelled beans.

The recipe called for making it in individual ramekins, which I do not have, so I made it as one large casserole.

It was very tasty and, combined with a salad, made a very satisfying dinner.

On a funny note, I decided to try another new (or so I thought) recipe as a side dish for Rosh Hashanah – Tok Cel Lima Beans. As I was making them I realized that they seemed really familiar…very familiar. So, before I wrote a new post I did a search. I made the exact recipe last summer – Roasted Lima Beans! Well, they were every bit as good this time!

Fresh Lima Bean Gratin

adapted from Grace Parisi in Food & Wine Magazine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon melted

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound shallots, halved if small, quartered if large

8 thyme sprigs (from the garden)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups shelled lima beans (1 1/4 pounds) (locally grown)

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (locally grown)

1/2 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley (from the garden)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°. In an ovenproof dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the oil. Add the shallots and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Cover tightly and roast for about 30 minutes, until very tender.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted water, cook the limas until just tender, 5 minutes. Drain and cool under running water. Spread on paper towels and pat dry.

Transfer the shallots and thyme to a plate; leave as much fat in the pan as possible. Strip the thyme leaves from the sprigs and return to the shallots.

Lower the oven to 375°. Add the flour to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, whisking, for 1 minute. Add the half-and-half and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the limas, shallots, thyme and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, toss the panko and parsley with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter; sprinkle over the gratins.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, just until browned.Let the gratins rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve and enjoy!