I have been working with my son and his friend as their Indian Lore Merit Badge Counselor. To meet on of the requirements, we had to make three Native American dishes. I thought this was a great recipe to try out, not only is it traditional, but it has meaning and it's own legend. The soup was delicious, hearty, and healthy.
The
Three Sisters - A
Native American Legend
A long time ago there were three
sisters who lived together in a field. These sisters were quite
different from one another in their size and way of dressing. The
little sister was so young that she could only crawl at first, and
she was dressed in green.
The second sister wore a bright yellow
dress, and she had a way of running off by herself when the sun shone
and the soft wind blew in her face.
The third was the eldest
sister, standing always very straight and tall above the other
sisters and trying to protect them. She wore a light green shawl, and
she had long, yellow hair that tossed about her head in the
breeze.
There was one way the sisters were all alike, though. They
loved each other dearly, and they always stayed together. This made
them very strong.
One day a stranger came to the field of the
Three Sisters - a Mohawk boy. He talked to the birds and other
animals - this caught the attention of the three sisters.
Late
that summer, the youngest and smallest sister disappeared. Her
sisters were sad.
Again the Mohawk boy came to the field to gather
reeds at the water's edge. The two sisters who were left watched his
moccasin trail, and that night the second sister - the one in the
yellow dress - disappeared as well.
Now the Elder Sister was the
only one left.
She continued to stand tall in her field. When the
Mohawk boy saw that she missed her sisters, he brought them all back
together and they became stronger together, again.
Three
Sisters Soup Recipe
"Three sisters" refers to
the wonderful combination of beans, corn and squash—foods
traditionally grown and consumed together by many American Indian
tribes.
Ingredients:
3/4 to 1 cup dried pinto (or other)
beans, soaked overnight in 4 cups water
1 acorn squash
1 to 2
tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 onion, diced
Pinch sea salt
1
large carrot, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 rib celery,
diced
3 to 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup frozen
corn
1 teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Drain and rinse soaked beans. Put
them in a pot and cover with water by an inch. Bring to a boil and
simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Add more
water if necessary.
2. While beans are cooking, cut
squash in half and scoop out seeds. Bake squash halves, cut side up,
in a 375-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
3. Heat butter or oil in a large
saucepan. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sauté over medium heat,
stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes.
4. Add carrot, garlic and celery, and
sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 5 to 10
minutes.
5. In the meantime, scoop cooked
squash out of shell. Add squash to onion mixture and mix well,
smoothing out any large lumps. Rinse and drain cooked beans.
6. Add stock and bring to a boil.
Turn down heat and add beans, corn and thyme. Simmer, covered, for
another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to
taste, and serve hot with crusty bread.
