We've finally been blest with rain. I did a very un-scientific experiment of mixing ashes with lime and spreading them all around the gravel fire pit, then wetting the whole thing down. I don't think I'll get Roman cement, but if it stops the grab grass that takes up way too much of my time, I'll be happy. In other news, one of the corn my four year old planted has sprouted an ear! You can't go anywhere this time of year without seeing bushels of corn. Here's a recipe and craft the whole family can enjoy, both with Native American roots.
Gluten-Free/Vegan Option
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Summery Succotash
Taste of Native America
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1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/2 cup fresh lima and/or cranberry beans
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced fine
1 tbs. butter or bacon fat
1 tsp. maple syrup
1/8 tsp. each salt and white pepper
2 slices bacon, well-cooked and crumbled (optional)
Succotash owes its name to the Narragansett tribe’s word for it: msíckquatash. It consists of boiled corn kernels and beans and has many variations. Maize, as it’s also called, originated from a grass in Mexico. After 10,000 years of cultivation, the large kernels we are all familiar with developed, carried northward from tribe to tribe. Lima beans are actually native to South America, with cranberry beans native to the Northeast. This succotash version gets added sweetness from red peppers and omits the European addition of cream. Serve it in a mini pumpkin and it’s truly a “three sisters” meal. Recipe can be easily multiplied. Serves 4.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add husked corn cobs and shelled beans and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer corn to a bowl of ice water to cool. Retrieve beans with a slotted spoon. Dice pepper and cook bacon. Cut kernels from cooled cobs. Melt butter or bacon fat in sauté pan. Add all remaining ingredients and sauté on medium heat until vegetables start to glaze and crisp. Serve immediately.
After you've made this yummy dish, you can flatten and dry the husks under a weighted cutting board in the sun to make corn husk dolls. Corn husk dolls traditionally do not have faces. According to one Iroquois legend, Corn Maiden of the Three Sisters decided one day to make people from corn husks. A particularly beautiful one was instructed to travel from village to village and entertain the children with games. Many commented on her great beauty, and over time she became quite vain. After several warnings, her punishment was to spend her days without a face and unable to converse with the animals. Basically, this tells us to let go of our egos and we will accomplish more. (Margot Fonteyn, the beautiful and accomplished ballerina, once said that she took her art very seriously but herself not seriously at all.) Besides playthings, corn husk dolls could have spiritual significance. The Iroquois also made them in response to bad dreams, putting the negative energy into the doll, then returning it to the earth (burying it) to dissipate the negativity.
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| Tie narrow ends together |
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Pull wide ends in opposite direction
and tie tightly just below "neck" |
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Cut cord. Take three narrow strips and
braid them. Tie off with husk or twine. |
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| Slip arms between layers of corn husk. |
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| Tie beneath to form "waist" |
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| Snip "thumbs" if desired |
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Alternatively, form arms by tying
narrow bundles at each end |
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| This is the back |
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| Trim hands |
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Cut a trapezoid to size from scraps
of felt or flannel |
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| Tie in back with ribbon |
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| This is now the back |
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| Finished doll. Add your own details! |
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