Corn And Lima Bean Stew

-FILLING
- 3 tb Vegetable oil

1 lg Onion -- chopped

1 t Cumin

1/4 ts Thyme

2 c Lima beans, fresh or frozen

2 Garlic cloves -- minced

3 lg Celery ribs -- diced

1 Green or red bell pepper

-chopped 2 tb Cilantro stems -- chopped

1 tb Chili powder

3 c Tomatoes, fresh or canned,

-with juice -- chopped 1 c -- water

1/2 ts Salt

Pepper 2 c Corn

1 t Chipotle pepper -- chopped

-CRUST
- 6 c -- water

1 t Salt

1 1/2 c Cornmeal, coarse

1 tb Red chile, ground, or chili

-powder

Filling: Heat oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add onion, cumin and thyme and saute over moderately high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions color a bit. Add lima beans and continue cooking over high heat another few minutes; add garlic, celery, bell pepper,cilantro stems and chili powder. Cook 3minutes, then add tomatoes and water; season with salt and pepper. Lower heat, cover pan and simmer 15 minutes. When beans are tender, add corn and stir in pureed chipotle. Turn off heat. Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Bring water to aboil. Add salt and pour in cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently at first, until cornmeal is cooked, about 30 minutes.Stir in ground chile or chili powder. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and pour inabout 2/3 of the cornmeal mixture.Let set about 5 minutes to firm. Spoon vegetables over cornmeal mixture. If cornmeal is too thick to pour,thin with warm water. Set casserole on a tray and bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Per serving: 319 cal; 9 g prot; 6 g fat; 56 g carb; 0 chol; 957 mg sod; 12 g fiber; vegan. Vegetarian Times, Nov 93/MM by DEEANNE