Three Sisters - Related Content

Ingredients:  There is no set recipe, but some recommendations are indicated.  Use your experience of soup making to adjust the amounts, if you like!  
2 T olive oil  
1 medium onion, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 C chicken or vegetable broth
1 14 oz can fire roasted or regular tomatoes
2 C cubed red or sweet potatoes, removing skin is optional
2-3 C any peeled cubed winter squash
1 ½ C corn, frozen or kernels cut fresh off the ears
1 15 o can black beans, drained or 1 C dry beans, soaked in water overnight 
1 chopped jalapeño, with or without seeds
1 tsp chipotle powder or 1 T sauce from canned chipotles in adobo sauce, adds a nice smokey heat
bay leaf 
1 tsp cumin or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
In a large pot over medium heat add oil and onions.  Saute for 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. 
Add broth, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, corn, beans, seasonings and jalapeno.
Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 50 minutes or until beans and squash are tender. 
Check every 15 minutes or so.  Add more broth or water as needed to maintain the consistency you like and to prevent burning. 

Variations: 
Use summer squash.  Bring the recipe into spring and summer by subbing out winter squash for zucchini and crook neck squash.
Explore different beans: Black-eyed peas, pinto or kidney beans work well.
Use fresh beans: If you’re not into dried or canned legumes, use fresh green or waxed beans.
Try canned hominy, instead of sweet corn.
Add chilis, canned or fresh, to enhance this soup. Go for mild or spicy.
Thicken the soup by adding some masa harina toward the end of cooking to give the soup body and more corn flavor. Or, using an immersion blender, blend just a portion of the soup to thicken it up.  You can even blend canned pumpkin into the soup stock.
Add animal protein such as shredded pork, chicken or sausage of your choice, such as chorizo.
Add cheese.  This is not traditional, but shavings of queso, Parmesan, or other aged cheese add another dimension of flavor.
Make it vegan by using water or vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.

This recipe has been adapted from The View from Great Island by Sue Moran who moved from LA to Great Island, NH to Madison, Wisconsin.  Sue loves Midwestern food culture and being near the biggest farmer's market in the country.  Her summer version of Three Sisters' Soup is pictured above.

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Story: 
There is no one authentic recipe for this soup ~ it can be made, and is made, in a variety of ways, with different combinations of ‘sisters’. Recipes for it have been passed down through generations in tribes, and have become more modernized in the process. This version uses chicken broth and fire roasted tomatoes for a flavorful broth, potatoes for their satisfaction factor, jalapeño and chipotle powder for a little kick of heat, and black beans. Tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers are all indigenous crops, native to the Americas.

Three sisters soup celebrates the fall harvest  Three sisters refers to the combination of corn, beans, and squash, as well as to a native American companion planting technique that paired the three crops together for better productivity, and sustainable land use. The three foods have been staples in the diets of many tribes (from the Iroquois in the North, the Chickasaw in the South, and the Hopi and Navajo Nations in the Southwest) over the centuries, and this soup is a celebration of that magical trio. This hearty healthy soup provides a great story and learning opportunity as well!

Meet the three sisters. These three crops not only support each other as they grow, they have been critically important foods to Native Americans, and are particularly nourishing. In three sisters soup corn, beans and squash are a complete nutritional package with carbohydrates from the corn, protein from the beans (they provide the missing amino acids in the corn) and essential vitamins and minerals from the squash.
CORN ~ the tall corn provides support for the beans vines to grow on.
BEANS ~ add nitrogen into the soil to fertilize the corn and squash. These can be fresh or dried beans.
SQUASH ~ this refers to both winter and summer squash, both of which are low to the ground crops which provide shade to keep the ground moist and prevent weeds.
Speaking of Squash:

Check out the Seasoned Franciscan next week for how to roast squash seeds (even touch pumpkin seeds) and season them 5 ways. 

P.S.  If you haven’t yet seen Ken Burns' PBS special on "The American Buffalo", it is another learning invitation for all white people.  It isn't just about Bison as food.  Burns thoughtfully tells the story of the history and tragedy of this important lifegiving animal in Native history and that of our country.  It is often difficult to watch, but Burns offers both challenge and hope.  VLK

Ingredients:
Clean, dry seeds.  (See below for tips on preparing seeds for roasting.)
Olive oil or your favorite vegetable oil.
Salt
Seasonings of your choice.  Suggestions include:
•    acorn squash (with olive oil and salt)
•    butternut squash (with olive oil, fennel seed and salt)
•    delicata squash (olive oil, coriander seeds, curry powder and salt)
•    spaghetti squash (olive oil, red chili flakes, and salt)
•    kabocha squash (allspice, cardamom, and cloves)
•    Create your own favorite spice and herb mix such as pumpkin pie spices, Italian spice, taco seasoning!

Directions:
Start with clean dry seeds.  This is the most time consuming, but kids can help!
•    Cut the squash in half from stem to bottom. (For a pumpkin that will be carved, cut a circle in the top!)  Use your hands or a large spoon to pull out the seeds into a large bowl   Try to squeeze the seeds out of this substance, leaving as much of the pulp behind as you can. There are pockets of seeds in the cavities of the pulp, so be sure to root around in the corners.
•    Fill the bowl with cold water and use your hands to squish the seeds together to remove the slimy pulp. The seeds will rise to the surface. Skim them off and spread them out to dry.
•    You can also put the seeds in a strainer and using your kitchen sprayer to loosen the pulp.
•    Turn seeds out onto a clean absorbent dishcloth and pat them dry.
•    If a little pulp sticks to the seeds, it will cook away during roasting.

Boil (optional):  If the seeds are particularly tough, such as pumpkin and kabocha seeds, you can boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes. This can help soften the outer shells slightly and make them easier to roast.
Dry the seeds:  Spread the cleaned seeds on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Allow them to air-dry for a few hours or use a towel to pat them dry.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
Coat and Season:  In a bowl, toss the dried seeds with a small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil. Use enough oil to coat the seeds lightly but not so much that they become greasy.  Add your choice of seasonings and salt to the bowl. Toss the seeds to evenly coat them with the oil and seasonings.
Roast:  Spread the seasoned seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Roast the seeds in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. They will start to "pop’". Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
Test for doneness: The seeds are done when they turn golden brown and have a crispy texture. Taste a few seeds to make sure they are cooked to your desired level of crunchiness.
Cool: Once the seeds are roasted to your liking, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet. They will become even crunchier as they cool.
Store:  Once the seeds are completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container. Properly stored, roasted squash seeds can stay crispy and flavorful for several weeks.

Uses:

• Serve as a healthy snack, as an appetizer or as part of a cheese or “charcuterie” board.
• Add to a fall salad as you would use nuts or croutons.
• Garnish a fall soup with roasted seeds, especially if the soup contains squash.
• Add to granola or trail mix.
• Bake them into seedy crackers or breads.

Story: 

Roasting seeds from winter squash is a good way to use as much of this "sister" as possible, reducing food waste.  Sue Moran says “For some people, it’s a cherished fall ritual. Usually, it’s after the family jack-o-lantern gets hollowed out for carving and everybody gets all excited to roast the seeds… only to be super disappointed at how tough they can be! Turns out all the other winter squash have much better seeds for roasting.”  

Sue reminds us, "Farmers markets and roadside stands are great sources for different varieties of winter squash ~ and all of them (and their seeds) are edible. Delicata, butternut, acorn, even spaghetti squash seeds can be roasted.  These seeds are smaller, and more tender and flavorful than pumpkin seeds which are more fibrous."

As mentioned in last week’s story about “Three Sisters’ Soup”, most summer and winter squash are indigenous to the Americas.  Squashes are one of the oldest known crops–10,000 years by some estimates of sites in Mexico. Squash was first used in its wild form.  Since squashes are gourds, they most likely served as containers or utensils because of their hard shells.  The seeds and flesh later became an important part of the pre-Columbian (before the arrival of Columbus!) Indian diet in both South and North America and has become one of the world’s most cultivated crops.  

Knowing where our food comes from can help us to appreciate how the earth provides and our responsibility to use it with gratitude.  As we read about how humans nurtured a variety of foods for our table, we are invited to reverence and use them well.  It is my hope that awareness of the culture of Indigenous Peoples challenges white people to learn more about Native values, to risk relationship (encuentro) with Native Americans and to join their work of bringing justice, peace and unity between all members of the human and other than human family.

Moran of The View from Great Island relays:  "For some people, roasting squash seeds is a cherished fall ritual. Usually it’s after the family jack-o-lantern gets hollowed out for carving and everybody gets excited to roast the seeds… only to be super disappointed at how tough they can be! Turns out all the other winter squash have much better seeds for toasting.

"Farmers' markets and roadside stands are great sources for different varieties of winter squash, as seen in the picture above by Sue Moran .  She says, "and all of them (and their seeds) are edible. Delicata, butternut, acorn, even spaghetti squash seeds can be roasted…these seeds are smaller, and more tender and flavorful that pumpkin seeds which are more fibrous."

Enjoy!