Updated Monday, 10:52 a.m.:
After blogging this Friday (see below), I picked up a half-dozen ears of fresh corn from a roadside stand Saturday with this recipe in mind. Last night, my daughter and I made it and served it with charcoal-grilled swordfish kabobs skewered with fresh cherry tomatoes, yellow squash and green pepper, all from our garden and simply brushed lightly with oil.

Since this recipe calls for four ears of corn and we used six, we also used 50 percent more of all the other ingredients. The green beans, scallions and flat parsley were from our garden, the red onion from the market; we used ordinary salted butter.

This may be the best vegetable dish we've ever eaten. The parsley definitely adds something important to these well-balanced flavors. I was hoping for leftovers so I could report on how it tastes cold the next day, perhaps with a splash of vinegar or vinaigrette. But four people ate all six servings, none of these carnivores noticing that this meal was 7/8 vegetables.

This dish is simple to make, and it's well worth your time to collect fresh, seasonal veggies with which to make it, even if you don't have a garden.

Friday, 8:45 a.m.
I remember as a child hearing about the oddly named succotash, thinking it sounded wildly exotic. The word comes from the Narragansetts' msíckquatash, "boiled corn kernels."

Corn and lima beans was a huge disappointment.

This green-bean and corn version from the Globe fits my adult tastebuds. It uses what's fresh in local gardens and seasonably priced in the markets.

Sauteed corn and green bean succotash:

Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 pound Romano beans or green beans, ends trimmed, beans cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ears corn, shucked, kernels sliced off with a paring knife
1 large red onion, cut in 1/2-inch dice
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (keep white and green parts separate)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cook the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or until they are bright green and just tender. Drain and cool under running water.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the corn and onion, sprinkle generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the corn turns opaque and the onion starts to soften.

Add the beans and white scallions. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until they start to brown.

Stir in the parsley, green scallions, butter, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss until the butter melts.

Serves 4

Photo By John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Gail Ciampa is on vacation.