Famed Native American food historian and chef Loretta Oden recently released her first cookbook, Corn Dance, which includes this wonderfully fresh and summery salad and her famous Three Sisters Sauté.
Lucky writer Heide Brandes! Our Oklahoma-based contributor got to join Native American food historian Loretta Oden for dinner at the chef’s OKC home for a feature story in the October issue of C&I. The article comes complete with recipes for the dishes Brandes got to experience at Oden’s table: Three Sisters Sauté With Sage for the main course, and, on the side, this delectable salad starring the crisp and crunchy tuber jicama.
The subtitle of Oden’s new cookbook, Corn Dance, is Inspired First American Cuisine. Inspired indeed!
Pineapple, Jicama, and Avocado Salad
(Serves 4 to 6)
Crunchy jicama and creamy avocado team up in in this festive salad. The fresh pineapple makes a fine, sweet touch. It’s great on the holiday table.
Ingredients
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
½ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 cups red leaf lettuce, arugula, or frisée
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chili, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, oil, and salt. Add the pineapple chunks and jicama sticks, and let them marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Arrange the lettuce on chilled salad plates or a large platter. Remove the jicama and pineapple from the marinade, arrange them over the lettuce, and then top with the avocado. Drizzle a little of the vinaigrette over the salad right before serving.
Three Sisters Sauté With Sage Pesto
(Serves 4 – 6)
“Most tribes have a story or legend about the Three Sisters. These crops have always been planted together. Corn represents the tall, strong sister who supports her shy sister, beans, by acting as a trellis for her to cling to as she grows. The third sister, squash, is chubby and happy to stay on the ground, her broad leaves holding in the moisture and smothering out the weeds. We have planted, tended, harvested, and cooked these three together for centuries. Today, modern agriculturists refer to this methodology as ‘companion planting.’ This extremely healthy trio provides essential amino acids; trace minerals like folate, magnesium, and copper; and enough healthy carbs and protein to be a perfect food dish.” — Loretta Barrett Oden
Ingredients
1 pound mixed baby squashes like pattypan, sunburst, or mature zucchini and yellow squash
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup dried heirloom beans, soaked overnight and cooked (or use 1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained)
2 cups sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped ripe Roma tomatoes
Salt to taste
⅓ cup Sage Pesto (recipe follows below
Instructions
If using larger zucchini, cut the squashes into very thin ribbons or dice into bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the squash for about a minute. Stirring after each addition, toss in the beans, corn, tomatoes, and a dollop of Sage Pesto. Season with salt. Serve immediately before vegetables go limp.
Sage Pesto
½ cup piñon nuts, lightly toasted
1 clove garlic
1 cup fresh sage leaves
¼ cup flat leaf parsley
Coarse salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Put the nuts into a small pan and set it over low heat. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until they turn golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. In a food processor, pulse together the garlic, sage, parsley, salt, and nuts until they form a paste. Gradually add the oil. Adjust the taste with salt and lemon juice.
From Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. Available from OU Press, Amazon, and everywhere books are sold. Recipes used by permission.
Read Loretta Barrett Oden’s full story and get a copy of our October 2024 issue.
PHOTOGRAPHY: ©2023 Mette Nielsen, University of Oklahoma Press
