Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Everyone knows the schoolhouse version of the first Thanksgiving story: Native Americans shared a feast with New England pilgrims and we all know how that turned out. To be fair the original menu was something of a joint venture, but over the years, in many homes across Turtle Island, a lot of the traditional dishes have lost their native flavor.

For those who want to create a feast that celebrates the flavors that Native Americans from the Northeast to the far Northwest, here are some recipes that might interest you.

And ‘giving thanks’ should be given everyday.

Three Sisters Salad

In Haudenosaunee villages, as in many other Native communities, women planted, hoed, weeded, and harvested communally, often working in large groups. The staple crops they grew corn, beans and squash came to be known as The Three Sisters. Not only do the three foods grow well together but when cooked together they provide nearly complete nutrition.

Here, grilled squash and corn are mixed with cranberry beans and yellow and red tomatoes.

Serves 4 to 6

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup canola oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 ears corn, husked

1/4 cup canola oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups cooked cranberry beans, drained

1 medium yellow tomato or 3/4 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, diced

2 plum (Roma) tomatoes or 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, diced

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk to blend. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 10 days.

For the salad: Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Brush the zucchini, squash, and corn with oil. Season the vegetables on all sides with salt and pepper. Grill the zucchini and squash until crisp-tender and grill-marked on both sides, about 10 minutes. At the same time, grill the corn until lightly browned, turning to cook all sides, 4 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the zucchini and squash to a cutting board and finely dice, then empty into a large bowl. Cut the kernels from the corn and add to the bowl along with the beans and the yellow and red tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

Serve at room temperature or cold.

Roasted Root Vegetables With Mustard Seed Vinaigrette

Serves 4 to 6

Mustard Seed Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1/2 cup canola oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons black or yellow mustard seeds

Salad

3 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 to 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 to 2 golden beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup canola oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, honey, and mustard. Gradually whisk in the oil until incorporated. Stir in the salt, pepper, and mustard seeds. Cover and refrigerate.

For the salad: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the vegetables in a medium bowl and toss with the oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until crisp-tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a medium bowl and add the vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Crabapple And Cranberry Relish

Makes about 2 cups

8 ounces unpeeled crabapples or Granny Smith apples, cored and diced

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sugar, plus more to taste

1/4 cup cranberry juice

In a nonreactive saucepan, cook the crabapples or apples over medium heat until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook until they start to release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ½ cup sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the cranberry juice. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Source – From The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook by Richard Hetzler:

Pasilla Chile-Rubbed Turkey

There is nothing bland about this bird. The dried chiles of Oaxaca, Mexico, that are famous for their smoky flavor, plus agave nectar, lots of roasted garlic and fresh cilantro combine to make a rich, dark paste that infuses the meat and skin in a wonderful way. Strain the pan juices and serve them as gravy -- they are that good.

This recipe makes enough of the rub to cover up to a 15-pound bird.

You’ll need a large pot and/or food-safe bag for brining, kitchen twine and an instant-read thermometer.

Make Ahead: The turkey needs to brine for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. The pasilla rub can be assembled and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.

SERVINGS: Tested size: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BRINE AND BIRD

1 cup kosher salt

2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar

8 whole allspice

1 bunch fresh thyme

Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks

6 whole cloves

2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)

8 cloves garlic

2 gallons water, or as close to that as possible

One 12-pound unbrined turkey, neck, giblet and gizzard packets removed

FOR THE RUB AND CAVITY

6 dried pasilla chile peppers

20 cloves garlic, roasted (see NOTE)

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into quarters

2 medium onions, one cut into quarters and one chopped

1 cup agave nectar

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch cilantro

2 carrots, cut into chunks

1/2 rib celery, cut into chunks

DIRECTIONS

For the brine and bird: Combine the salt, brown sugar, allspice, thyme, cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, garlic and water in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature.

Carefully lower the turkey into the brine, making sure it’s submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

For the rub and cavity: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pasilla chiles on a baking sheet. Bake for about 4 minutes, until fragrant and a bit softened. Transfer them to a heatproof bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 10 to 15 minutes, until further softened. Discard the stems; seed them, if desired.

Use tongs to transfer the softened pasilla chiles to a blender or food processor, along with the roasted garlic, tomato, chopped onion, agave nectar, salt, oil and mustard; puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; fold in the chopped cilantro.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use paper towels to pat the brined turkey dry. Discard the brine. Use your clean hands to spread the pasilla rub all over the turkey, including under the breast and drumstick skin you’ll loosen gently with your fingers.

Stuff the remaining onion quarters, carrots and celery inside the bird. Use the kitchen twine to tie the legs together, then place the turkey in a roasting pan. Roast for about 3 hours, using pan juices to baste the bird occasionally and turning the pan front to back halfway through the cooking, until the temperature taken in the breast (away from the bone) registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Let the bird rest for at least 30 minutes before carving; discard the vegetables in the cavity before carving.

NOTE: Wrap 2 or 3 heads of garlic in aluminum foil. Roast on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for 40 minutes. Cool, then unwrap and gently squeeze 20 good-size garlic cloves onto a plate, reserving the rest for another use.

Source - from Jerome Grant, executive chef of Mitsitam Cafe and Catering in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Oyster Stuffing

Though stuffing per se wasn’t on the table at the first Thanksgiving, this dish is designed to honor the Native American tribes of the Northwest, whose skilled fishermen would not only harvest oysters for food but also fashion the oyster shells into weapons.

Look for Northwest oysters such as Willapa, but any freshly shucked oysters in liquid will do here. Their brininess offers a nice counterpoint to mildly flavored turkey.

Make Ahead: The baked stuffing can be cooled, covered and refrigerated a day or two in advance. Reheat it, covered, in a 250-degree oven until thoroughly warmed through; uncover for the last 10 minutes, just before serving.

SERVINGS: Tested size: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish

About 25 shucked oysters, plus their liquid (from a 16-ounce jar)

5 cups (about 8 ounces) cubed rustic country bread or sourdough loaf (crusts removed)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup diced white onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup dry white wine

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the inside of a 2-quart (or slightly larger) baking dish, such as an 8-by-8-inch Pyrex, with a little butter.

Strain the oysters, reserving their liquid. Place the oysters in a large mixing bowl with the cubed bread.

Melt the 12 tablespoons of butter in a wide saute pan over medium heat. Once it’s foamy, add the garlic, onion, celery and thyme; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just softened.

Stir in the white wine and oyster liquid; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature.

Pour the cooled mixture into the oyster-bread bowl, stirring to moisten. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then stir in the eggs and parsley until well distributed. Transfer to the baking dish; cover and bake for about 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

Serve warm.

Source – from Jerome Grant, executive chef of Mitsitam Cafe and Catering in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.