Seasonal Eating | The Three Sisters
Published August 22, 2019
Published August 22, 2019
The Three Sisters growing together - Corn, Beans & Squash
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If you joined a CSA, planted a garden, or are shopping at farmers’ markets, summer's end offers the most plentiful bounty. Tomatoes are at their glorious finest, accompanied by cucumbers and peppers for fresh Israeli Salad. Melons and stone fruit are also peaking. And some versions of the Three Sisters are peaking, while others will wait until fall to deliver their abundance.
The Three Sisters – corn, beans, and squash - are named for Native American legends. There are several variations of the legend, but they all tell the story of three very different sisters, whose differences contribute to their symbiotic relationship. The Legend of the Three Sisters My favorite version tells of three bickering sisters who could not get along. They drove their mother crazy. She prayed for guidance about how to help them love one another. That night she dreamed of three seeds, representing her daughters. She planted them together in one mound to represent how they lived together under one roof. The seeds – corn, beans, and squash – grew into strong, healthy plants, each one providing something special that helps the others grow. The next morning, she prepared eggs three ways – boiled, scrambled, and fried. She told her daughters, “You are like these eggs. You are the same, but also different. Neither of you are better or worse than the others, just different. I love you all and you each have a special place in my heart.” The sisters were moved by their mother’s story; they realized that their differences represented their individual strengths and should be celebrated instead of causing friction between them. According to the legends, the Three Sisters should always be grown, eaten, and celebrated together. In the same way that the daughters each brought their individual strengths to their relationship, the plants are also symbiotic. They are planted together in a large mound, with the corn at the center, circled by a ring of beans, which is in turn, circled by a ring of squash plants. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac the corn offers needed support for the mound. The beans pull nitrogen from the air and deliver it to the soil for the benefit of all three. As the beans grow through the tangle of squash vines and wind their way up the cornstalks into the sunlight, they hold the sisters close together. The large leaves of the sprawling squash protect the threesome by creating living mulch that shades the soil, keeping it cool and moist and preventing weed growth. Also, the prickly squash leaves keep away critters, who don’t like to step on them. Together, the Three Sisters provide both sustainable soil fertility as well as a healthy diet. And the legend provides a beautiful lesson that sustains the family. Recipe - Three Sisters Chowder |