Lima beans only appear in the green market in the fall and they don’t hang around for very long. I suspect that this is because they are a pain to disrobe from their tough pod and honestly I don’t think many people like them very much. I, on the other hand, really like them and try my darndest to pick out the pods that contain pale green, medium-sized beans. The large beans tend to be starchy and not very flavorful – at least to me. The tiny ones are so small that you would have to buy pounds and pounds to unearth enough for a meal. This is a long way to say that when I find them I buy whatever I can. Sometimes serve them like I do fava beans – let guests peel off the pod and eat the raw beans with some slivers of cheese – ricotta salata, parmesan, or any other hard cheese that you can peel off paper thin slices. When cooking, I often mix them up with other vegetables or beans and do a quick stir in some olive oil and butter or with some pancetta or bacon to add some smoky flavor. Always add a little onion and a nice bit of salt and pepper. You could do the same thing with frozen limas that you have let thaw and patted dry, but oddly I never do. I just prefer the fresh beans and the fact that they are so seasonal makes them even more alluring.
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