It is strongly believed that "The Three Sisters" were prevalent in the first Thanksgiving feast. These 'three sisters' are squash, corn (maize) and beans. Native Americans would build a mound, sometimes placing a fish in this mound to fertilize the soil, and plant several corn seeds close together in the center of the mound. After the corn grew about 6 inches, beans and squash seeds were planted around the maize. These three crops benefited each other, the corn provided a structure for the beans to climb, the beans provided nitrogen to the soil helping other plants to grow, and the squash spread along the ground blocking the sunlight, preventing weeds, and helping the soil retain moisture. They compliment each other nutritionally as well; Beans and corn eaten together provide a balanced diet. Tribes in the southwest often included a "forth sister" known as the Rocky Mountain bee plant, which attracted beast to help pollinate the beans and squash. This practice of planting beneficial plants together today is called companion planting.
The Three Sisters are featured on the back of this 2009 coin.
My family has a tradition of serving a Three Sisters Recipe at Thanksgiving.
It is a simple recipe:
Layer baked squash,
cooked or canned beans
and corn in a baking dish and heat until everything is warm.
And that is it! The flavors are wonderful together! And because it comes with the companion gardening story, it is always a hit at Thanksgiving dinners.
I love using cast iron frying pans pans, they can be used as a baking dish in the oven as well as on the stove top. For a rustic recipe such as this, it adds just a little charm.
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