Yield: 6 to 8 servings

3 strips bacon

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ pound okra, cut into bite-sized rounds

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound yellow summer squash, roughly chopped

½ cup butter

½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved if small, quartered if large

5 ears corn, shucked and cut from the cob (about 2½ cups)

1 pound baby lima beans, cooked to al dente

2 teaspoons sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Warm a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Place the bacon into the pot, and cook just until it starts to get crispy. Remove the cooked strips to a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cooled, crumble or chop the bacon into small pieces.

Add the onion, bell pepper, and okra rounds to the bacon grease in the pot. Sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables begin to brown around the edges.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the squash and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved bacon pieces. Add the butter, stirring until melted. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, corn, lima beans, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the basil. Let sit for a few minutes, and stir before serving.