Fresh lima beans

◼ Lima beans arrive with the spring and are in season.

 Lima beans with rice:

Sauté a finely chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil; then, add rice, stir and let sauté some minutes over a low heat. Cover with water and a pinch of salt. And let simmer.

As I use brown rice and it takes at least an hour to cook, meanwhile I clean the beans. When the rice is nearly done, add the beans. If necessary, add (hot) water to cook and rectify the flavor.

I learnt of lima beans through a friend of mine from Braga four years ago; well, she is from Vieira do Minho (a town near Braga, to the north of Portugal) and her family has organic crops in that town. She explained to me how to clean them: you have to remove the skin because it is very tough. It takes a little time but it is worth it for its delicate flavor.

The ones I knew were cream colored, the ones my mother bought at that time. When I talked to her about it, she told me that she didn´t remember the green ones. But, in a few months, she remarked that now they were also beginning to be seen in the markets and besides, they were publishing many recipes with them. They must have come into fashion, I thought.

                                                                                                     
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