Butter Beans

"Just a bowl of Butter Beans,
Pass the cornbread if you please,
I don't want no collard Greens,
Just a bowl of Butter beans!"
-Sung by "Peanuts" the banjo player at the origional Ruby Reds Warehouse in the Old (First) Underground Atlanta.

Everything Ya Always Wanted To Know About Butter Beans....
Butter beans, sometimes called lima beans, are a seed, and are considered a vegetable. They are of the genus and species Phaseolus lunatus, and have two main varieties. The first variety is a large slightly curved flat green bean that those in the Southern US would refer to as lima beans or the lima type. A second type of P. lunatus has smaller seeds and is often called the sieva type. When Southern US cuisine mentions butter beans, they are referring to the smaller sieva seed.

RECIPE:
Butter beans with Chicken and Seasonings

Ingredients:
3 c. butter beans, fresh or frozen
1 sm. chicken, cut up or parts desired
1 c. minced onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
2 tbsp. corn oil
3 tbsp. browning sauce or roux
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper
1 1/4 c. water (more if needed)
Preparation:

Lightly brown chicken parts in a heavy pot. Remove and saute onions and bell pepper in same pot. Add butter beans and water; cook for about 20 minutes. Then add browning sauce or roux, chicken, salt and pepper; cook slowly until chicken and beans are tender. Add more seasoning, if desired.