Yorkton and District Horticultural Society

     Long, long ago, there were three sisters: one was tall, with silky yellow hair, and always towered over her other sisters, offering them support.  The second sister liked to run off by herself and be a free spirit, but she was very giving.  The third sister was very shy and stayed close by, protecting the others.  The Spirit saw how the three girls loved and needed each other, and transformed them into the magical vegetable trio, the “three sisters” of corn, beans and squash.

     The corn offers strength and support for the other plants; the beans are the giving plant through the whole season,  wrapping the corn, holding the sisters together, and fixing nitrogen in the soil; and the squash is the shy, protective plant that grows over the roots of the others, holding moisture and protecting them from weeds.

     This beautiful story is a simplistic version of the legend of the three sisters, which the Iroquois and North American tribes had been growing for hundreds of years by the time Europeans arrived.  This trinity of vegetables was seen as sacred and life-giving, providing a balanced diet when eaten together.

THREE SISTERS SOUP

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 stock
1 cup corn off the cob (or frozen)
1 teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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.

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