The Three Sisters are corn, beans and squash. For centuries, they’ve been at the center of Native American agriculture and culinary traditions.
Here’s a silky, satisfying soup featuring butternut squash and her two sisters, cannellini beans and hominy. Field Day basics turn fresh produce into a satisfying meal in no time!
Ingredients
1 medium-large butternut squash (about 2 ½ pounds)
1 small white onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 30-oz can hominy, drained/rinsed
** 2 cans cannellini beans, drained with liquid reserved
** 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
** 1 bay leaf
** ½ tsp dried thyme
** 1 tsp dried coriander
** ½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling
Ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh herbs for garnish
Directions
Cut top and bottom off butternut squash and then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds.
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Drizzle the cut side of butternut squash pieces with just enough oil to rub it over entire cut surface, about ½ – 1 tsp each.
Add a little salt and pepper and put squash cut side down onto prepared sheet pan. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Set squash aside to cool, about 15 minutes.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. After 1 minute, add diced onion and 1 tsp salt. Add thyme, coriander and smoked paprika. Cook about 4 minutes, onion should be soft and turning lightly golden. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute more – you should be able to smell it.
Remove cooked onion/garlic from pot and add to a blender. Scoop butternut squash flesh into blender and discard the skin. Add half the beans and all their liquid, as well as a few grinds of pepper. Add stock, just to the “maximum fill” line.
Fasten blender lid and blend on high until creamy and warmed. There may be some steam escaping out the lid.
Put blended soup back into soup pot, along with bay leaf, remaining whole beans, drained hominy and any remaining stock. Stir and taste, adjusting salt/pepper as needed. Cook about 15 minutes for flavors to meld, or until hominy is at desired level of tenderness.
Garnish each bowl with fresh herbs before serving.
Note: ** Ingredients are available from Field Day, at BriarPatch.
Here’s a great recipe that only uses one sheet pan! It takes a little planning to make sure ingredients come out perfectly all at once, but it’s not rocket science and you’re gonna be happy you gave it a shot.
And with everything on the same pan, the flavors and juices will come together in a way that makes everything that much more yummy. Sure to please, and cleanup will be a breeze!
Learn more about this scrumptious sammy in our The Union article.
Ingredients
6 hoagie or sub rolls
3 bell peppers (red/green/yellow), seeded/cut in large chunks
2 red onions, trimmed/quartered with layers separated
12 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into quarters
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dried rosemary, rubbed/crumbled between your palms
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
Ground black pepper
12 Italian sausages
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup whole-grain mustard
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dill pickle relish or other pickle-iciousness like Grillo’s Pickle de Gallo
Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste
Optional: crushed red pepper flakes for cooking, sauerkraut for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°. Toast rolls on sheet pan 5-7 minutes, set aside. Combine dried herbs/spices in a small bowl.
Spread peppers, onions and garlic on sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle on dried spice combination, salt and pepper. Place sausages in/around veggies. Bake until sausages are cooked through and veggies tender, about 30 minutes. Turn sausages halfway through and stir veggies as needed to cook evenly.
Mix mayo, ketchup and mustard in small bowl. Add sriracha or other hot sauce to taste and set aside.
Transfer sausages to cutting board, slice into long, diagonal coins. Spread each roll with sandwich spread, load up with sliced sausage and roasted veggies. Spoon on some kraut and dig in!
It’s always a great day for a batch of dal, the tasty and easy staple of Indian cooking. More than anything, dal is comfort food at its finest…as nourishing as it is soothing.
Here’s a great starter recipe for dal-curious folks out there, using split mung beans and red lentils – two options that are relatively easy to find.
Ingredients
½ cup moong dal, soaked ½ – 1 hour and drained
½ cup masoor dal (split red lentils), soaked ½ – 1 hour and drained
2/3 cup white onions, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped, or canned crushed tomatoes
1 inch ginger, peeled/finely chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
3 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
5-6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp garam masala
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne
3 ½ cups water, plus more if needed
Salt to taste
Optional: ½ – 1 jalapeño, seeded/deveined/chopped
For serving: cooked basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro, lemon wedges
Optional accompaniment: Naan bread
Directions
Rinse drained moong and masoor dal in strainer and set aside.
Press “sauté” button on Instant Pot and once it’s hot add ghee/oil. Allow to heat 1 minute and add cumin and black mustard seeds. Be careful – mustard seeds may splutter a bit!
Add ginger and half of garlic, cook 1 minute. Add onions and jalapeño (if using) and cook about 3 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Stir in coriander, cayenne and garam masala powders.
Add moong and masoor dal, stir to combine. Add 3 ½ cups water and turmeric powder, stir again and close lid. Cook on high pressure 7 minutes and then let pressure release naturally.
Once pressure is released, open lid and stir dal. Add water to thin out as desired and salt to taste. Serve with basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro, lemon wedges and naan bread.
If cooking on the stovetop, use a large pot and add everything in the same order as above and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring 2-3 times along the way. Remove lid and check consistency – dal is done when it’s porridge-like. Add a little more water if needed and continue simmering as needed. Add salt to taste and serve with garnishes/accompaniments.
If you don’t already have a grain salad on your menu for the week, stop what you’re doing and make a plan! They’re one of the smartest, easiest ways to a winning lunch strategy that’ll last you for days, since they’re highly portable and won’t get wilted or mushy.
Farro is an ancient grain that’s actually called three different things based on size. Einkorn is “farro piccolo (small),” spelt is “farro grande (large),” and emmer is “farro medio” and probably the most common. All work here, and cooking times will vary.
Ingredients
1 cup farro
1 cup apple cider
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon or similar, vegetable flavor
2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup basil leaves, torn by hand into small pieces
½ cup flat parsley, torn by hand into small pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
Optional: 2 cups arugula, for serving
¼ cup Parmesan curls (shaved with a veggie peeler) for garnish
Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring farro, apple cider, salt, bay leaves, garlic, Better Than Bouillon, and 2 cups water to a simmer. Stir briefly once water gets warm, to dissolve bouillon paste.
While farro cooks, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the tomatoes gently with ¼ cup olive oil and dried thyme on a sheet pan. Spread them out in one layer and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Set aside.
Simmer farro until tender and liquid evaporates, about 30 minutes. Add more water if it’s all evaporated before the farro is ready. Discard bay leaves and let farro cool.
In a salad bowl, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, vinegar and a pinch of salt. Add farro, cheese and pine nuts and mix well. This part of the salad will keep for up to 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, bring farro/cheese/nuts to room temperature. Fold in sundried tomatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, and herbs and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve on a bed of arugula and top with Parmesan curls, if using.
Line pie shell with foil or parchment. Fill about 2/3 full with dried beans, uncooked rice or pie weights. Bake crust for about 20 minutes. Remove crust from oven and take out liner and weights.
Increase oven temperature to 400°.
Whisk eggs until foamy, then whisk in butter, sugars and flour. Combine well.
Add vanilla, milk and rum (if using). Stir in chopped macadamias. Pour mixture into pie shell. Decorate top with whole macadamias.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake until filling is set, 30-40 more minutes. You may need to put foil over the crust edge or the entire pie to prevent excessive browning at some point.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before serving. Note: Pie is best made the day before.
Cauliflower is a great option to bring “wow” to your Thanksgiving “chow.”
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, about 2 lb
½ cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic – pressed
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, divided
2 Tbsp – ¼ cup grated Parmesan, or vegan substitute
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp pepper
Fresh parsley, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Place oven rack in middle position.
Rinse cauliflower head, pat dry. Remove any outer leaves. Cut off bottom so it’s flat and most of the woody stem is removed, making sure not to cut too much so that head falls apart.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, half the sesame seeds, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, dried herbs, salt and pepper.
Put cauliflower head upside down into an iron skillet. Drizzle half of the sauce on the cauliflower, letting it drip around the core and between florets. Turn over cauliflower and drizzle/brush remaining mixture on the cauliflower dome. Sprinkle with more pinches of salt.
Place cauliflower, florets-side-up, on the iron skillet and cover tightly with foil. Cook for ½ hour, covered. Remove foil from skillet and roast 1 more hour. Once cauliflower is gold brown and a knife slides in/out easily, remove from oven.
Sprinkle top of cauliflower with remaining Parmesan and put under broiler for 5 minutes until cheese browns. Remove from oven and place on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and remaining sesame seeds before serving.
