The Three Sisters

 

Have you heard of The Three Sisters of American agriculture?

“The Iroquois and the Cherokee called corn, bean, and squash “the three sisters” because they nurture each other like family when planted together” (Hill, 2016)

Diohe’ko, “The Three Sisters,” is the practice of planting corn, beans, and squash together. The three sisters are said to be the physical and spiritual sustainers of life. It was the central food system of indigenous people in the North and Southeast of North America dating back as far as 1070 AD.

Corn provided a stalk to support the beans. Beans provided a nitrogen-fixing bacteria on their roots. Squash gave ground cover which kept weeds from growing.

The complementary nature of The Three Sisters allows them each to grow and flourish. When eaten together, The Three Sisters were highly nutritious:

• A source of meat-free complete protein (thanks to complementary amino acids)
• Complex carbohydrates
• A plethora of vitamins, minerals, and fiber

Let the Three Sisters into your kitchen and try this delicious Butternut Squash Chili from A Spicy Perspective. 

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup butter (olive oil for vegan)

·         1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped

·         2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped

·         5-6 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

·         3 – 15 ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·         28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

·         3 cups vegetable broth

·         13.5 ounce canned chopped green chiles, mild or medium

·         10 ounces frozen corn, or fresh

·         1 tablespoon ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1 bay leaf

·         ½ cup chopped cilantro

·         Salt and pepper

Instructions

1.       1. Prep and chop all the produce. Cut the butternut squash in half, then peel with a vegetable peeler. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Chop into even 1/2 inch cubes.

2.       2. Set a large 7-8 quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onions, chopped poblano peppers, and minced garlic. Sauté for 5 minute to soften.

3.       3. Add in the cubed butternut squash, rinsed beans, tomatoes, broth, green chiles in juices, frozen corn, and all spices. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, but save the cilantro for later.

4.       4. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then uncover and simmer another 5 minutes to thicken. Once the squash is fork-tender, remove the bay leaf. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

This holiday, celebrate Indigenous American Agriculture and let The Three Sisters nourish your body and spirit!

-TM

https://www.nal.usda.gov/collections/stories/three-sisters

Hill, C.G. (2016). Pre-Colonial foodways. In Wallach, J.J., Swindall, L.R., & Wise, M.D. (Eds.) The Routledge History of American Foodways (pp. 9-22). London: Routledge Press.

https://www.aspicyperspective.com/three-sisters-butternut-squash-chili/