IROQUOIS THREE SISTERS STEW

[Okwes]

IROQUOIS THREE SISTERS STEW

Serve with hot corn bread, this hearty, easy-to-make vegetable stew,
with added fish or venison or other meat, if desired, is a delicious
lunch or light supper.

2 cups cremini, oyster or white mushrooms
2 cups onions, coarsely chopped (abt. 1 lb.)
4 - 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
2 teaspoons fresh dill or thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, & ? in. cubed (abt. 4 cups)
1 large orange or sweet red bell pepper
2 cups corn stock or vegetable stock
2 cups fresh Iroquoian Hulled White Corn, Whole
2 cups cooked red kidney or black beans
Juice of 2 fresh lemons or limes
1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
sea salt & ground or cracked pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup of Iroquoian White Corn Flour

Topping for the soup: A couple of spoonfuls of pureed potatoes or
roasted pumpkin seeds.

1. Clean mushrooms with a mushroom brush and as little water as
possible. Quarter the large mushrooms. Trim the bottoms of the oyster
mushrooms, then pull apart into smaller clusters.

2. In a fairly large soup pot, on medium heat, saute onions and
garlic in sunflower oil, stirring often until the onions are
translucent. Add the lemon or lime juice. Season lightly with the
chopped fresh dill or thyme (sometimes called wild marjoram) and
fresh sage. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

3. Add squash and cover with stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat,
simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender (about 20 to 25 minutes).
Place some of the cooked squash in a food processor and puree
together with the nutmeg and maple syrup.

4. Stir in cooked corn and beans. When stew returns to simmer, add
mushrooms, bell peppers. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper.

5. Make a thick paste using white corn flour (or white corn bread
stock, if you have it) and water. Add to the paste a cup of hot
liquid from the stew. Keep stirring to keep the consistency even.
Then add the thickened broth back into the stew and blend everything
together.

This delicious stew can be prepared one day ahead and it tastes even
better. Just cover and chill. When you are ready to serve, bring the
stew back to a simmer. Ladle into bowls and top with spoonfuls of
pureed potatoes. Also optional, you can add one-inch pieces of fish
or cubed venison or any other meat.

[blackcrowheart]

INGREDIENTS
1 small sugar pumpkin or 1 large butternut
or carnival squash (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium green or red bell pepper,
cut into short, narrow strips
14- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, with liquid
2 cups cooked pinto beans (about 3/4 cup raw),
or 16-ounce can, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn kernels (from 2 large or 3 medium ears)
1 cup homemade or canned vegetable stock, or water
1 or 2 small fresh hot chiles, seeded and minced, or
4-ounce can chopped mild green chiles
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

6 servings

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Halve the pumpkin or squash and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place
cut side up in a shallow baking dishes and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until just done but still firm. When
cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp, and cut into large dice.
Set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low
heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the
onion is golden.

Add the pumpkin or squash dice and all the remaining ingredients
except the last 2 and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, covered, until
all the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.

If time allows, let the stew stand for 1 to 2 hours before serving,
then heat through as needed. Just before serving, stir in the
cilantro. The stew should be thick and very moist but not soupy; add
additional stock or water if needed. Serve in shallow bowls.

source: www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/298

[blackcrowheart]

Three Sisters Soup

Ingredients
* 3 cans chicken broth - making chicken broth from scratch tastes
better !
* 2 cups frozen corn, thawed -try with fresh corn for more of a taste
* 1 cup green beans or yellow wax beans, washed and ends trimmed off
* 1� cups of butternut squash (or pumpkin)
* 2 bay leaves
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Optional spices: � teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon each
fresh (or � teaspoon each dried) parsley, basil, and oregano

Procedure
1. Pour the chicken broth into a large saucepan or kettle. Heat until
the broth begins to boil.
2. Add the corn, beans, squash, and bay leaves.
3. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add optional spices if desired, and simmer 15 more minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaves, and transfer the soup in batches to the
blender to puree if desired. Serve with bannock (bread).
Serves 8 to 10.

[blackcrowheart]

Three Sister Soup
This very simple soup proves that fresh ingredients are everything. It won Chef Bertha Skye a gold medal at the 1992 Culinary Olympics in Germany. It is a traditional Iroquois soup made with corn, beans and squash - the "three sisters" of Iroquois farming and cuisine. Source: Canadian Living's Best - Vegetables.
2 cups corn kernels 500 mL 2 cups chopped green beans 500 mL 2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash 500 mL 1 1/2 cups diced peeled potatoes 375 mL 2 tbsps all-purpose flour 25 mL 2 tbsps butter, softened 25 mL 3/4 tsp salt 4 mL 1/2 tsp pepper 2 mL In large pot, bring corn, green beans, squash, potatoes and 5 cups (1.25 L) water to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender. Blend flour with butter; stir into soup. Increase heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly and vegetables are tender. Stir in salt and pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

[blackcrowheart]

Three Sisters Stew:

Many American Indians refer to squash, corn and beans as the Three Sisters.
The three plants grow well together. The bean climbs the natural trellis of
the corn stalk, while the squash shades the ground below, discouraging other
plants from spreading and choking the corn roots. Each plant also takes
different nutrients from the soil. Serve the stew with tortillas or with
chochoyotes or Fresh Corn Dumplings. The uncooked dumplings are added to the stew once
it is brought to a boil. Cover the pot and place in a hot oven for 12 to 15
minutes, until the dumplings are cooked throughout, or cook on the stovetop
over low heat. Serves 4.

1 cup dried chestnuts or Christmas lima beans, or any broad beans
2 Roma tomatoes, halved
1 poblano chile
1 tablespoon corn oil
1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 summer squash, quartered and sliced � inch thick
1/2 pound fresh green or wax beans, stringed
Kernels from 2 ears of corn
2 tablespoons minced epazote or cilantro
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup salsa roja
2 cups vegetable stock or water
Sea or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the dried beans in a saucepan and add water to cover. Cover. Place
over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep
for 1 hour. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat
to medium-low and cook for about 2 � hours, until tender. Drain well.

Place the tomatoes and chile directly over a flame or on a grill and cook,
turning as needed, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the skins are charred. Place the
chile in a plastic bag to steam for 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle,
peel and seed the tomatoes. Peel the chiles and cut in half lengthwise. Remove
the stems and white membrane and scrape the seeds away and discard. Cut the
chile into 6 pieces.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan cover medium-high heat. Add the onion and
cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Do not let the onion
brown. Add the squash and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute, until
softened. Add the dried beans, fresh beans, corn epazote, salsa verde, salsa
roja, and stock and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium, add the
tomatoes and chiles, and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to
taste. Serve in warm bowls, allowing 1 tomato half per person.

[Lachlan]

Nicely put. Many thanks!
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