Celebrate Native American Heritage
November is here, Native American Heritage month, and we’ve done a bit of digging to capture the culinary culture of Native Americans. It isn’t bison burgers, candied sweet potatoes, or even fry bread (which came much later once the tribes’ rich culture and lands were being replaced by flour, sugar, lard, and canned goods.)
Because of colonization, unfortunately many of the original family recipes remain with ancestors. What we do know today about the Native culinary experience, is that it truly was based on where the tribe resided according to Sean Sherman “The Sioux Chef.” They foraged the native plants, utilizing all sorts of flora and fauna, including what many today may claim are “weeds” or deem poisonous. With the right knowledge and care, these practices have taught us that each plant can be used for nourishment, flavor, medicines, or for tactical uses.
The natives valued preserving the land, while also cooking from what was growing around them. In celebration of this knowledge we’ve gone ahead and shared a healthy local side-dish recipe from a nearby forager, Dina Fisher, utilizing mainly native plants of Southern California.
We would not claim this to be a traditional Native American side dish by any means, but it does celebrate the land, and native plants to our area, and we hope that it inspires you to do your own research to safely forage ingredients close by, perhaps even in your own backyard. Just be careful and confident before consuming any wild plant.
If you can’t find certain wild greens listed here visit your local farmer’s market or grocery store, and feel free to substitute as you wish with sautéable, greens such as collard, mustard, kale, swiss chard, beet, etc. Or try using only milk thistle leaves. dinafisher.net/foraging/milk-thistle
Sautéed Milk Thistle Leaves and Wild Greens
Tools: Skillet, Shears or Kitchen Scissors, Tongs
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2-4
INGREDIENTS
8 large milk thistle leaves
8 large curly dock leaves from a plant that’s gone to seed
8 large plantain leaves from a plant that’s gone to seed
8 large wild mustard greens
Wild-mustard flowers (at least 12 heads)
1 small red onion (or wild ramps if available)
5 garlic cloves
olive oil
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp roasted or toasted sesame seeds
black powdered pepper
salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash and Clean all wild greens. To quickly remove spines from milk thistle leaves, use kitchen shears or simple scissors to trim the edges off the leaves. Remove and discard stems from greens.
Diagonally slice all greens into long 1″ wide strips.
Slice onions thin and dice garlic.
Heat 2 tbsps olive oil in large skillet over medium high flame.
Add onion, sauté for 30 seconds or until translucent, add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Add more oil if needed, then place all greens in skillet, turning every 20 seconds or so.
Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and sesame seeds.
When leaves have cooked down to approximately half their volume, turn off flame and immediately sprinkle 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar into the hot skillet. Turn leaves to coat all surfaces. You can add more balsamic if needed to coat the leaves, but be sure not to add so much that it puddles on the skillet bottom. You just want enough liquid to coat the leaves.
Remove to serving dish and dress top of cooked greens with fresh wild mustard leaves. Serve warm.
Dina recommends using larger, older milk thistle leaves for this dish. They’re easier to de-spine, and the thickness holds up very well at high heat.
Want a local veggie-forward catered party? Email us at info@tasteandcompany.com
Meanwhile, please visit natifs.org started by Sean Sherman of “The Sioux Chef” to find out more about Native American traditions for nourishing the body and Earth and to donate to their environmental mission.