#msickquatash

[morethansalad]

Modern Msickquatash — Limas, Squash and Caramelized Leeks (Vegan)

An homage to that first [Thanksgiving] feast, this silky, lemony stew is made with limas, squash and leeks, but the point is to use what’s local and available.

[skinnyontheinside5]

Chef John's Succotash

America's oldest vegetable recipe gets a delicious update with Chef John's recipe for succotash.

[meaningless-tales]

Recipe for Chef John's Succotash Chef John's recipe for succotash gives America's oldest vegetable recipe a delicious update. 1/2 red bell pepper diced, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 yellow onion diced, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1/4 cup water, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 jalapeno pepper sliced, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 4 ounces fresh green beans cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 cup frozen baby lima beans thawed, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1.5 cups corn, 2 green zucchinis cut into cubes, 1.5 teaspoons butter

[downtoearthmarkets]

In case you missed it, today, Thursday, September 22nd, is not your average weekday as it marks the 2022 autumnal equinox, also called the September equinox or fall equinox. In astronomical terms, this means the sun is positioned exactly above the Equator and our day and night will be of equal length. However, from here on out the days will become shorter and nights longer. Thus, we have officially left summer firmly behind us along with its sun-kissed, lazy days spent picnicking on the beach and BBQing with the neighbors. However, despair not, as we have the cornucopia of fall to look forward to and indulge in before winter turns its frosty sights on us. In fact, the weeks in and around the autumnal equinox coincide with one of the most bountiful times of year at your local farmers market. From an agricultural perspective, the autumnal equinox has always been a significant and highly critical time for farmers as it represents the last major harvest before days shorten, crops die back and the ground freezes over. For our ancestors who lived in the northern hemisphere before modern day food storage, refrigeration and transportation came about, the abundance of the fall harvest was key to their survival through the long winter months. Because of this, the agricultural aspects of the autumnal equinox are celebrated with some type of harvest festival or similar observation by almost every culture on earth. In North America, anthropologists believe that Native American tribes stretching from Mexico to Canada have held harvest festivals since 10,000 BC or earlier. Today, these festivals of thanksgiving to the Great Spirit and to nature for providing crops and life after the first full harvest moon of September are still celebrated by many nations in homes, at Pow Wows, and on reservations. Many of the indigenous foods that feature in these festivals are readily found in the stalls at the farmers market throughout this month. So, this year, why not mark the autumnal equinox and changing of the seasons with a truly American harvest feast of your own? Here are a few ideas for some seasonally and culturally appropriate foods to incorporate: Succotash Succotash was an invention of the New England-based Narragansett Indians featuring a medley of sweet corn, shell beans, and summer squash and pieces of fresh or dried meat or fish if available. Corn, beans and squash featured prominently in Native American diets and are together known as the Three Sisters as they form a beneficial symbiosis when planted and consumed together. Starting in the 17th-century, colonial settlers adapted succotash into more of a stew-like dish by adding ingredients such as onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, bell peppers, okra and sometimes corned beef or salt pork. In fact, the name succotash is an Anglicized version of the Narrangansett word “msickquatash” meaning "boiled corn kernels”. Serving succotash at this time of the year pays homage to the history and foodways of the indigenous people of this area, while celebrating the last harvest of our corn, bean and summer squash crop staples. For those who’ve had a less than stellar experience with succotash in the past, The New York Times has some great pointers on how to reimagine the dish. Sunflowers Those big smiling yellow sunflowers (Helianthus Annuus ) that you see blooming in many yards this time of year are as “American as apple pie” as they are a flowering plant native to North America. Some archaeological evidence suggests that sunflowers were cultivated as a crop by Indigenous people before even corn. Sunflowers were used in many ways by tribes including cracking and eating the nutritious and protein-packed seed as a snack, just like we do today at baseball games, in front of the TV and at other snack-times. The seeds were also ground or pounded into flour for cakes, mush and bread, so give this American Indian sunflower seed cake recipe a try at your harvest celebration. Or serve up some sunflower seeds (aka the Fourth Sister) as the garnish to this hearty and healthy entrée-style ancestral dish. Alternatively, if sunflower seeds are not your gig, simply pick up a bunch of fresh stems from the farmers market flower vendor to use as décor on your harvest table. Grapes Any self-respecting harvest celebration should feature an abundance of grapes in either unadulterated or liquid form (aka wine!). Fortunately, many species of wild grapes have a long and well-documented history of use by Native Americans and continue to play an important role in their culture and foodways. The Fox grape (Vitis labrusca) is a climbing, woody vine native to the eastern United States of which the well-known Concord grape is a cultivar. Tribes foraged for these grapes and enjoyed them raw, pressed them into juice, and cooked dumplings in the sweet liquid. Concord grapes, with their signature musky aroma and decadently sweet interior, are considered a harbinger of the autumn equinox and are at peak harvest-time now through late October. Pick up some lush bunches to add an element of bacchanalian revelry to your harvest celebration or serve them up in jellies, juices and, of course, wine. Some “hot off the vine” news is that the fall 2022 Concord grape harvest is shaping up to be a bumper crop! Thanks to the abnormally dry, hot summer we’ve just had, the ripeness, fullness and sugar levels in the grapes have been brought up to an ideal level. Three (sisters) cheers to this great grape news. On that fun note, let’s gladly welcome the cornucopia of fall whether it be over a grand harvest feast celebration, a nourishing and hearty Three Sisters side dish, or simply a trip to your local farmers market on a beautifully crisp and sunny autumn day.