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Dear Friends, I hope this winter is going fast for you as it seems to be here in the Northeast U.S. Either that or I have been rushing about too much. From everything I've been reading about maple sugaring, it is supposed to be a very good year because of the warmer days and cooler nights. Not only that but people are looking for healthier sources of sweet. As far as that goes, honey and maple sugar or syrup top the list. Always buy authentic maple syrup as other maple syrups...
Kway, kway, Nidobak (Hello friends), When the weather gets really cold and frigid, my thoughts go to Mexican food of the American southwest and comfort food in general. HOMINY SOUP 3 pounds of venison, cut bite size or cubed into small pieces 2 onions, chopped 2 cups of cooked wild rice 1 or more cans of hominy 1 quart beef or bison broth Salt & pepper to taste Brown the meat in a little shortening. Cover with broth and water. Simmer until meat is tender, add onion, rice and...
When we grow our own vegetables we cook and store enough of them to get us well into winter, I’m sure you do the same. One year we had a super crop of butternut squash that lasted into late March. That never happened again, but whenever I look at a bushel basket of corn, tomatoes or squash I feel rich, then I snap out of it and remember I’m at a farmer’s market! Some years have been great, others not so much. Even if you process, can or freeze just a few vegetables, they...
Kwai, Kwai Nidobak (Greetings Friends), How does time fly? I have no idea but I do know that it is Harvest Time and it brings a lot of work and happiness as well. Bushels of vegetables, nuts, fruit and more. What to do with it all? Cooking it up or preserving is the primary activity but I think sharing is the most fun. When we share we usually get some good, new ideas from our friends especially when we bring dishes of food together at a social or someone’s home. I’ve never be...
Now is it, now is our time to breathe in the aromas and bathe in the sunshine. Sure, there will be lots of time and occasions when the weather is perfect and cooking outside is no hassle at all, July and August are pretty reliable for these endeavors. Fresh ingredients are also easier to obtain whether you buy them or grow them. You may even have some in the freezer needing to get out and used. The Old Ones of every nation cooked outside over fire, not for fun, because they...
Dear Nidobak, I do believe we have made it through another nasty, hard, mean and clingy winter with our optimism still in place! There are still a few foods that are universal, rather than Native and specific to one area or the other. Honey is one, onions another and asparagus. Asparagus is still a mystery as to its origin, though it is now a beloved symbol of spring worldwide. We planted it years ago in a deep trench with neutral soil and it is still producing, although not...
Dear Nidobak, It is now early spring “wskizigwaniwi” a season we are all quite grateful for, I’m sure. There is nothing like hope and sunshine to put a smile on anyone’s face. Being inside most of the time in winter, it isn’t hard to understand why most people have a lack of Vitamin D. To get the proper amount of this nutrient you would have to spend 10 to 20 minutes in the sun at least three times a week with your bare skin mostly exposed. I set out to find which foods con...
We Abenaki call January Alamikos, Forgiveness month. February is Biaodagos or literally, falling in pieces branches moon. Personally, together I would like to call January and February ‘stay inside and get something worthwhile done time’. It might be sunny, but it is really cold out there. Can’t say so yet for sure, but I think this winter is milder so far than last. People still want to be with relatives and friends so there will be visiting, expected or not. What do you do i...
Abundance reigns, beauty as well! With so much fruit and produce available now, I have so many choices to pick from to write about. I got to thinking about another time in my life and the most wonderful tomato soup I have ever had before or since. I was at a meeting with four others at the home of good friends who were not doing well, job-wise that is; doing fine every other way. They grew their own food and tomatoes had just come in—bushels of them. They made this soup for al...
Dear Nidobak (friends), I’m sure we all were thinking spring would never come this year after such a cold, mean and tumultuous winter, one of the worst ever. A couple of nice days full of sun and warmth set the mind to thinking joyous thoughts. I thought about my childhood and the stunning hill of violets that my mother grew. Then we picked and sold them in sweet little bunches with the leaves on the outside and an elastic band to hold them together. Violets are edible and a...
Gezandami Nidobak (Dear Friends), It is the time of the cracking trees, I can hear them right now. There will be major cleanup this year. As you all know, the big push is on food sustainability and nutrition for ourselves and our children. Many nations have started active programs which we will see even more of this year. My most recent interest has been in the “food not lawns” idea. It is so sensible, organic and doable, you can save money as well as eat healthier for a few...
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Now we can tell our stories and hunker down inside, warm and cozy. I hope you are hungry, too. I think a lot about comfort food now because it is slow food, lovingly prepared and filled with memories or memories to be. Good time to make things that require some stirring and attention now and then like chili, pot pies, stews, soups. While these things are cooking, there will be time to bake breads, make popovers, and other things that will comfort you all...
Dear Friends, Well, here comes Old Man Winter yet again, but, what if it is really Old Woman Winter? That changes things. I think a woman might be pleased to have time inside to organize all that was put aside during the beautiful days now passed. What I am saying is to use this time for positive projects and not lament the fact that its too cold out to do anything outside! Just keeping warm is doing something. Working on inside endeavors gives a person time to reflect on...
Taking Advantage of Popular Farm Stands Dear Friends (Nidobak), This summer has been very lush and beautiful as a growing season, all the trees even seem taller and fuller. Farm stands are growing in popularity which means people are a bit wiser about eating local grown nutrition instead of a lot of processed additive-added store-bought food. With garden produce at its height about now, I hope you have tons of beans, tomatoes and squash to prepare for yourselves, family and...
Dear Nidobak, I hope summer is finding you happy, healthy, and ready to say “yes” to any and all social invitations. Bring an “easy to make” summer salad. You probably have all the makings already in your pantry. Lately, I’ve become a fan of bean-based salads that I can make the night before, or even an hour before any event. By adding just a few ingredients you will have a beautiful offering for the buffet board that is pretty much fool-proof. There’s nothing like a fres...
Dear Nidobak (Friends), Although it is slow this year, Spring is here. Maybe not every day, but most days. We can at least get busy cleaning up and planting precious seeds. We can plan happy social events and enjoy the simple pleasures of this renewal of nature with the warmth of the sun on our face. With so much to do outside I like to simplify my life inside with easy simple dinners. I promised myself to visit our local farmers market and support them as much as possible,...
“Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder”, but “excitement is in the mouth of the taster”. I think the beauty of a fresh snowfall is wondrous to behold yet you cannot eat it. Well, that’s not true, you could pour fresh maple syrup over it, but that’s another story. Here we are coming into Mozokas, the moose-hunting moon of March and Zogalikas, the maple sugar-making moon of April. Lovely as it can be, I think we have all grown weary of winter for this year. And, I believe w...
Parsnips are little ivory white root vegetables that I believe are under appreciated. They are good in soups and stews, of course, but very good in the recipe below. We have learned that vegetables home grown or locally grown are better. Those shipped and transported from far away have lost some of their inherent nutrients. Parsnips reached Canada from Europe before the 1600s and prospered there as well as northwestern Minnesota in the U.S. I find oven roasting all root...
When there is more than a chill in the air and its downright freezing, there’s nothing like comfort food to take that edge off. Each season brings its own. Seems like hunting has been pretty good this year so most hunters have butchered and frozen away the rewards of their hard work. I hope you have some ground venison, ground bison/buffalo, or other meat (beef or lamb) on hand because a Shepherd’s Pie is one of the best comfort foods. Ranks right up there with roasts, ste...
In the good ol' summertime I can't help but get excited about almost every vegetable I see, but corn is a special favorite because of its versatility. Corn and byproducts thereof, are in just about everything to do with food, even down to the paper fish is wrapped in. Yes, it's true! But that's a whole other story. In this lush growing time, growing our own food is so important for freshness, nutrition and economy. If this isn't possible for you, I'd like to urge everyone to...
Cegejokwijoad is September and Benibagos is October in our Abenaki language. Known as ‘croptime’, and the ‘time of falling leaves’, these two months bring the most bounty to our table. Tomatoes are still coming in and you may be awash in squash. Not a bad thing. Now the winter varieties like my favorites, butternut and acorn, are being harvested. Turbans, hubbards pattypan, spaghetti, pumpkin, buttercup, are but a few of the winter squash varieties. However, there are still s...
