Glenna Petz has made her yummy lima bean dish for more than 40 years, but she never thought she’d take home $4,000 for it. But sure enough, she won Save Mart’s International Good Taste recipe contest and on Friday was awarded her check at the Save Mart on South Tracy Boulevard.
“I figured I’d enter (the contest), but I never expected to win,” Petz said. “It was in my own best interest to win with this recipe.”
Petz’s husband, Leroy, has grown lima beans for 30 years in Tracy. He said his wife’s recipe also took second place in an American Profile recipe contest three years ago and was put in a cookbook.
Then, the “Farm to Fork” lima bean recipe was submitted in the Save Mart contest.
“The recipe went to the Save Mart corporate office, where a couple of executives tried it who didn’t like lima beans,” Save Mart’s Alicia Rockwell said. “It was funny to see the expressions on their faces, because they liked it.”
Petz’s recipe beat out more than 700 others submitted to 202 Save Mart stores in California and Nevada. And as per the contest’s criteria, each recipe had a cultural or family heritage significance.
This one is a Petz family favorite, especially on Thanksgiving.
“I’ve made this dish a family tradition,” Petz said. “And I want people to buy lima beans, because they’re good for you.”
Petz said she’ll use some of her prize money for a trip to San Francisco with her husband.
“Farm to Fork” lima beans
2 16-oz. bags of frozen baby lima beans, cooked and drained (reserve any cooking fluid)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion and bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 6.5-oz. can sliced black olives
1 tbsp. red chili powder
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup cold water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sweat the onion, bell pepper and garlic in the olive oil in a deep skillet until limp; add the olives. Add beans to onion mixture; stir in ½ cup cheese. Add water to the reserved bean cooking liquid to measure 1¼ cups. In small pan, bring the liquid to a boil, adding salt, chili powder and the dissolved cornstarch. Stir until the sauce becomes clear and thickens. Pour sauce over beans, mix well, and place in greased ovenproof casserole dish; cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees; uncover and sprinkle remaining cheese over top; return to oven until melted.
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