Recipe: #Squash and Apple Soup with Fresh Cranberry Sauce

November 15, 2018 / 2:22 PM EST / CBS News

"A #NativeAmerican recipe from #SeanSherman, author of "#TheSiouxChef's Indigenous Kitchen," winner of the 2018 James Beard Foundation Book Award for Best American Cookbook.

"Sherman says, 'This rich, flavorful soup has a creamy texture without cream. We use the small, tart crab apples that grow in backyards and along the borders of farm fields.'

Squash and Apple Soup with Fresh Cranberry Sauce
(Wagmú na Tȟaspáŋ Waháŋpi nakúŋ Watȟókeča T'áǧa Yužápi)

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons sunflower oil
1 wild onion, chopped, or ¼ cup chopped shallot
2 pounds winter squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tart apple, cored and chopped
1 cup cider
3 cups Corn Stock (see below) or vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
Salt to taste
Sumac to taste
Cranberry Sauce (see below) or chopped fresh cranberries for garnish

Instructions:
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, squash, and apple until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cider and stock, increase the heat, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

With an immersion blender or working in batches with a blender, puree the soup and return to the pot to warm.

Season to taste with maple syrup, salt, and sumac. Serve with a dollop of Cranberry Sauce.

#CornStock

Save the #corncobs after you've enjoyed boiled or roasted corn on the cob, or you've cut the kernels for use in a recipe. Put the corncobs into a pot and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and partially cover. Reduce the heat and simmer until the stock tastes "corny," about 1 hour.

Discard the cobs, and store the stock in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer.

#CranberrySauce
Makes 1½ cups

Use this to drizzle over roasted squash or turkey, or for a dessert sauce.

Ingredients:
1½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup cider
¼ cup maple syrup
Salt to taste
Crushed juniper to taste

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until the cranberries have popped and the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and put into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press the mixture firmly with the back of a spoon and scrape the underside of the sieve to capture all of the fruit pulp. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm or cool."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/recipe-squash-and-apple-soup-with-fresh-cranberry-sauce-sean-sherman-the-sioux-chef/

#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #Recipes
#IndigenousFoods #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #VeganRecipes #WinterSquash #VegetarianRecipes

The incredible, edible #nut. Here's a look at the 8,000-year history of the #pecan

by Shelly Mitchell, Oklahoma State University/Special to Wisconsin State Farmer, Nov. 26, 2025

Excerpt: "The pecan derives its name from the #Algonquin '#pakani,' which means 'a nut too hard to crack by hand.' Rich in fat and easy to transport, pecans traveled with #NativeAmericans throughout what is now the southern United States. They were used for food, #medicine and trade as early as 8,000 years ago.

"Pecans are native to the southern United States, and while they had previously spread along travel and trade routes, the first documented purposeful planting of a pecan tree was in New York in 1722. Three years later, George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, had some planted pecans. Washington loved pecans, and Revolutionary War soldiers said he was constantly eating them.

"Meanwhile, no one needed to plant pecans in the South, since they naturally grew along riverbanks and in groves. Pecan trees are alternate bearing: They will have a very large crop one year, followed by one or two very small crops. But because they naturally produced a harvest with no input from farmers, people did not need to actively cultivate them. Locals would harvest nuts for themselves but otherwise ignored the self-sufficient trees.

"It wasn’t until the late 1800s that people in the pecan’s native range realized the pecan’s potential worth for income and trade. Harvesting pecans became competitive, and young boys would climb onto precarious tree branches. One girl was lifted by a hot air balloon so she could beat on the upper branches of trees and let them fall to collectors below. Pecan poaching was a problem in natural groves on private property.

"Even with so obvious a demand, cultivated orchards in the South were still rare into the 1900s. Pecan trees don’t produce nuts for several years after planting, so their future quality is unknown.

"To guarantee quality nuts, farmers began using a technique called grafting; they’d join branches from quality trees to another pecan tree’s trunk. The first attempt at grafting pecans was in 1822, but the attempts weren’t very successful.

"Grafting pecans became popular after an enslaved man named Antoine who lived on a Louisiana plantation successfully produced large pecans with tender shells by grafting, around 1846. His pecans became the first widely available improved pecan variety.

"The variety was named Centennial because it was introduced to the public 30 years later at the Philadelphia Centennial Expedition in 1876, alongside the telephone, Heinz ketchup and the right arm of the Statue of Liberty.

"This technique also sped up the production process. To keep pecan quality up and produce consistent annual harvests, today’s pecan growers shake the trees while the nuts are still growing, until about half of the pecans fall off. This reduces the number of nuts so that the tree can put more energy into fewer pecans, which leads to better quality. Shaking also evens out the yield, so that the alternate-bearing characteristic doesn’t create a boom-bust cycle."

Learn more:
https://www.wisfarmer.com/story/news/2025/11/26/pecans-americas-only-native-major-nut-has-quite-a-storied-history/87382328007/

#SolarPunkSunday #NutTrees #PecanTrees #NativeAmericanFoods

In #SeanSherman's book, #TheSiouxChef #IndigenousKitchen, he suggests using a mixture of berries - blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries -- pretty much anything you have on hand -- if one can't find chokecherries (which is what was used originally)

What is #wojape? A simple and delicious #NativeAmerican recipe for cranberry sauce

Ronnie Koenig, Updated Wed, November 10, 2021

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wojape-simple-delicious-native-american-153702849.html

#NativeAmericanRecipes #SiouxChef #IndigenousFood #Berries #MapleSyrup #NativeAmericanFoods

#TheSiouxChef - Máǧaksiča Tȟaspáŋnhaŋpi Akáštaŋpi

Seared Duck Breast with Cider Glaze

Serves 4-6

In this recipe, the duck breast is barely cooked, seared under a maple glaze, and served over a griddled corn cake with wild mushrooms and a wild pesto. It's a simple plate that makes a stunning entree. Unless you hunt or know someone who does, find duck breasts in the freezer section of most grocery stores. The sear on high heats gets the skin nice and crispy. Serve on Corn Cakes or Wild Rice Pilaf.

1 teaspoon coarse mineral salt
Pinch sumac
Pinch crushed juniper
2 to 3 pounds duck breasts, skin on.
1 to 2 tablespoons sunflower or hazelnut oil
1 cup cider
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 tablespoon maple vinegar (maple syrup mixed with apple cider vinegar can be substituted)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, or to taste
Wojape (chokecherry sauce) for garnish

In a large, self-sealing plastic bag, shake the salt, sumac and juniper together, then add the duck breasts and shake to coat with the mix. Seal and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large ovenproof saute pan, add enough oil to generously cover the pan and set over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so not to crow the pan, sear the duck breasts, skin side down, for about 5 minutes. Turn and sear the other side for 5 minutes. Place the pan in the over and roast for about 5 to 7 minutes for medium rare. Transfer the breasts to a plate and tent to keep warm.

Pour all but about 1 teaspoon of fat from the pan and reserve for another use. Return the pan to medium heat, add the cider, and scrap up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sage. Simmer the cider to reduce by half. Add the maple vinegar and cook to reduce for several more minutes. Season with the maple syrup. Cut the duck breasts into 1-inch thick diagonal slices and serve drizzled with the Wojape sauce.

Source: #TheSiouxChef’s Indigenous Kitchen, by #SeanSherman with Beth Dooley.

#SiouxChef #IndigenousKitchen #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #DuckRecipes #AnimalProducts

Re-connected with a dear friend (who is like a younger sister to me) tonight. We will be doing genealogy research on our #NativeAmerican ancestors, sharing #NativeAmericanFoods and recipes, and re-learning and learning new dances for upcoming #Powwows! To reconnecting with #Sisters!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbrvwaVXJ48

#Halluci_Nation #ATribeCalledRed #NativeAmericans #Indigiqueer #SharingInformation #SharingKnowledge #Connection #CommunityFirst

Psíŋ na Čhaŋnákpa na Úma Čheúŋpapi na Watȟónkeča T’áǧa

#WildRice Pilaf with Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Chestnuts, and Dried Cranberries

Serves 4 to 6

Wild rice is a flavorful and remarkably satisfying food. The mushrooms add a dark, meaty flavor and texture, while the chestnuts are creamy (and high in protein). This meatless dish will appeal to omnivore and vegetarian alike. Cooked wild rice will keep several weeks in the refrigerator and for at least a year when frozen in a plastic freezer bag.

2 tablespoons sunflower or walnut oil
1 pound assorted mushrooms, cleaned
1 tablespoon chopped sage
½ cup chopped wild onion or shallots
1/2cup Corn Stock, or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked wild rice
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, peeled, chopped chestnuts
1 tablespoon maple syrup to taste
½ to 1 teaspoon smoked salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms, sage, and onion. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, wild rice, and cranberries and cook until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in the roasted chestnuts. Season with maple syrup and smoked salt to taste.

Source: #TheSiouxChef’s Indigenous Kitchen, by #SeanSherman with Beth Dooley.

#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #IndigenousFoods #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #VeganRecipes #WildRiceRecipes #VegetarianRecipes

Wagmú Čhaŋháŋpi Tikiča Akáštaŋpi

Griddled Maple Squash

Serves 4-6

This simple technique for cooking squash is quick and easy. Serve the slices on salads, float them on top of soup, or stack them on corn, bean, and wild rice cakes.

1 medium winter squash such as butternut or acorn, about 2 pounds
2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
Coarse salt
Pinch sumac
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
6 fried sage leaves
Toasted squash, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds for garnish

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and cut top to bottom into thin slices about ¼ inch thick. Brush the slices with a little of the oil and sprinkle with salt and sumac.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet and lightly grease with the remaining oil. Griddle the squash slices until nicely browned, about 5 to 10 minutes per side. Brush with the maple syrup. Sprinkle with the coarse salt, garnish with the fried sage leaves and toasted seeds. Then serve as
- A snack right off the griddle
- A base for bean cakes
- A garnish for soups and stews
- A garnish for salads

Source: #TheSiouxChef’s Indigenous Kitchen, by #SeanSherman with Beth Dooley.

#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #IndigenousFoods #IndigenousCookbooks #NativeAmericanFoods #NativePlants #VeganRecipes #SquashRecipes #SiouxChef #IndigenousKitchen

I would probably substitute bison tallow for the lard, but this is pretty darn close to what I know as traditional #pemmican! I also believe that honey or maple syrup can be used in place of refined sugar.

Pemmican
By Patricia Rowland

Ingredients
Dried meat (buffalo, game or beef)
Dried #chokecherries (juneberries can be used as well) (use about the same amount as the dried meat)
Sugar to taste
Lard (to hold together) Do not use shortening or butter.

Directions
Pound meat very thin and dry in the oven [or a food dehydrator]
Grind the dried meat in a food processor [or grinder].
Add the chokecherries and blend together.
The consistency should be dry and loose with fruit broken up.
Add melted lard slowly while mixing.
Two tablespoons of fat are used for each 4-5 ounces of meat plus 1/3 cup of fruit.
Fat changes the consistency and makes it appear semi-moist instead of dry and improves the flavor and texture. Store in paper bags."

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/Qwr5s

#AnimalProducts #SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #Bison #SurvivalFood #CulturalSurvival #NativeAmericanRecipes #NativeAmericanFoods #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

The #FourSisters: Nurturing a time of plenty

"For the #Mandan, #Hidatsa and #Arikara people, seeds are even more than miraculous kernels of life. They are relatives and storehouses of ancestral memory, linked back to a time of abundance connected to the land. That is why the seed sovereignty project generates so much excitement throughout the community. Last month, the program’s first Food and Seed Summit drew around 100 enthusiastic participants.

"The college’s #FoodSovereignty effort aims to help reverse the cultural loss from the MHA Nation’s 1940s dislocation by flooding from the massive Garrison Dam. The seed sovereignty project engages faculty and community members, elders and USDA researchers to cultivate food security in the Three Affiliated Tribes.

Sowing #Sovereignty: Reclaiming #IndigenousAgriculture in #NorthDakota

By Tracy L. Barnett, June 10, 2024

Excerpt:
"Like others from her community, Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills grew up hearing the stories about a time of bounty, when the Three Affiliated Tribes farmed the rich bottomlands of the Missouri River. They grew nearly everything they needed in a tight-knit network of communities where work was shared and abundance existed for all.

"The stories were all that remained from those days – and the seeds.

" 'We had a lot of independence, even up to the 1940s,' Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills told Buffalo’s Fire. 'Then, with the Garrison Dam, that had some devastating impacts in terms of our ability to grow our #TraditionalFoods.' "

Read more:
https://esperanzaproject.com/2024/native-american-culture/sowing-sovereignty-reclaiming-indigenous-agriculture-in-north-dakota/

#SolarPunkSunday #FoodSecurity #FoodSovereignty #SeedSharing #NativeAmericanFoods #BuildingCommunity