Like many cultures around the world, the Abenaki celebrated a harvest festival in the fall and the “Three Sisters” were often part of the celebratory feast.  Much has been documented about the planting and importance of this famous companion planting of corn, beans, and squash and the importance of their cultivation.  This particular recipe comes to us from Shelburne Farms, who collaborated with Abenaki Scholar and Paleoethnobotanist Fred Wiseman and Anna Roy-Wiseman, to create a harvest dinner in celebration of the traditional Abenaki agricultural year. Three sisters soup is almost a universal dish throughout Indigenous North America. To develop this particular recipe, Roy-Wiseman tasted several traditional recipes from various Native cooks in the region and experimented with adding various spices and Native American additions such as tomatoes, peppers, and onions, to fit a more modern palette. You can find many of the ingredients needed for this hearty soup in our weekly sale from October 8th – 14th in celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.