Gene Roddenberry's Lima Beans and Ham

Some time ago I heard about a cookbook called "The Dead Celebrity Cookbook."  Obviously the title intrigued me and I had to pick it up.  Unfortunately, as far as recipes go, it has a pretty dated content.  Most of the recipes sound like things that were in vogue maybe in the 50's.  Not exactly healthy but a fun memory journey, nevertheless.  I do wish they had included a story about why the celebrity liked the particular recipe submitted.

However, thumbing through it a few days ago I found this recipe using HAM!!!  And with some tweaking, this came out to be very tasty.  This recipe (from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry) called to cook the beans for 5 hours and to boil a ham for 3 1/2 hours.  What?!!!  And the only seasoning it lists is salt.  So I added some marjoram and Montreal Steak Seasoning.  I also adjusted the amount of celery and onion.  So the recipe below is not the one found in the book but works much better with the way we eat today.

GENE RODDENBERRY'S LIMA BEANS and HAM  (4 servings)

1/2 pound dried large lima beans
1/2 to 1 cup cubed cooked ham
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
salt, to taste
marjoram, to taste, optional
pepper or Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste, optional
cooked rice for serving
grated cheddar cheese for serving

Put lima beans in a pot with 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer.  Cook until tender, about an hour (you may need to add more water during cooking).

Drain, reserving water.  Cook onions and celery in reserved water until tender.  Return to beans, along with ham and seasonings of  your choice.

Serve over rice and sprinkle with cheese.

Recipe Source:  The Dead Celebrities Cookbook by Frank DeCaro, 2011, p. 125