Three Sisters Saute

Corn, beans, and squash. The corn stalk provides a stem for beans to climb. The beans bring nitrogen into the ground. The broad leaves of the squash cover the ground retaining moisture and deterring weeds.

These three crops have been inter-grown for perhaps a thousand years. Native Americans have cultivated corn in the southwest for about 3,200 years, perhaps a century before King David ruled in Jerusalem. This crop spread slowly north and east for the next 1,100 years, reaching what is now New England a century before Jesus was born.

Together these three provide a nutritious and tasty meal. When served with rice or pasta, they provide a complete source of amino acids.

The recipe below blends in flavors brought from other countries.

Ingredients

These amounts are appropriate for two meal size portions.

• Olive oil
• ½ softball size red onion, quartered and sliced
• 1 medium zucchini grey or squash (150 g), cut into half rounds
• 1 medium yellow squash (150 g), cut into half rounds
• 1 cup of corn kernels (), frozen or fresh
• 2 cups of navy beans, canned
• ⅓ cup of basil pesto
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Procedure

1. Chop the onion and squashes. Rinse the beans. Line up the other ingredients.
2. Start the rice or pasta.
3. Saute the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes.
4. Add the two squashes and corn. Saute covered until tender, approximately 8 minutes.
5. Add beans, salt, pepper, and pesto. Stir gently until heated, approximately 1 minute.
6. Serve vegetables atop the rice/pasta.