"The Three Sisters" were a concept of food and agricultural that was a cornerstone of life for tribes of the Northeast Woodlands. Like a family, these simple plants worked together for a sum that was far greater than their individual parts. The corn would be planted first and once it had grown a few inches, the beans were planted and allowed to use the stalk as a pole upon which to grow. The sturdy squash grows at the base and takes up the space that would otherwise be occupied by weeds, thus keeping the other crops healthy. Not only did all of the plants provide for one another, but three times as much produce could be grown in one area (with a greater degree of fertility, thanks to the different acids and compositions of each plant).
|A young Three Sisters garden|
- A baking sheet or shallow baking pan, covered in aluminum foil
- A sharp, serrated knife
- Large metal spoon
- A small pumpkin (look for the ones in your produce section labelled baking or pie pumpkin if you can't find a suitable specimen with the jack o' lantern fodder)
- 1/4 c (59 mL) maple syrup (actual maple syrup and not one that's mainly corn syrup is best, naturally)
- 1/4 c (59 mL) apple cider (or, in a pinch you can substitute apple juice. Again, just find one that's low in sugar and as close to 100% juice as possible.)
- 1/4 c (59 mL) butter- yes, it's not traditional, but it makes the guts of that pumpkin oh-so tasty
- While it isn't traditional, a dash of nutmeg wouldn't be out of place in this very autumnal recipe
Give your victim a light scrub under water to remove any leftover dirt of grime before placing it on your baking vessel of choice and into a 350 degree oven. It should take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get the pumpkin nice and tender.
|Our victim about to go on a magical journey|
What do you call a relative who tells bad jokes?
By the time you stop groaning at me, the pumpkin should be good and tender (or ninety minutes, whichever comes first).
Once the pumpkin has baked to a soft consistency, use a serrated knife to cut off the top then use your spoon to scoop out the guts (careful, they're hot!). Be sure to save the seeds to toast for later snacking.
|Warning: Vegetable rights enthusiasts- look away.|
|The sweet stuff- apple cider, butter, and maple syrup.|
This would be a great accompaniment to a fall feast (coughThanksgivingcough) or even just a great way to get kids to eat vegetables (admittedly I don't typically like squash and I found this to be delicious!)- it's got maple syrup in it! One of these will easily serve a family of four, to boot, so when pumpkins are in season it's downright economical.