About the Recipe
From North American Indigenous cultures, Three Sisters agriculture harmoniously grows three staple ingredients: beans, corn, and squash. The beans add nitrogen to the soil, the squash acts as a cover crop, and the corn acts like a trellis for the beans to climb. This version of a holiday side dish pays homage to the land on which we reside.
Ingredients
For the cornbread:
3 Tablespoons butter, softened or melted, divided (to grease pans)
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably organic stone ground
½ cup all purpose flour (or gluten free alternative)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 jalapeno, de seeded and diced small
1 ½ cups of corn kernels
½ cup greek yogurt, low fat
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons butter (to grease pan)
For the dressing:
1 ½ cup hard squash, medium diced
½ pound ground pork (250 grams)
4 Tablespoons Patagonia Provisions Taco Seasoning
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 medium onion, diced small
3 stalks celery, diced small
1 15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
½ bunch parsley or cilantro, chopped (optional garnish, if desired)
Preparation
For the cornbread:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare an 8”x8” pan with the melted or softened butter.
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients; cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, jalapeno, and corn kernels.
Step 3
In a separate medium bowl, combine all the wet ingredients: yogurt, milk, and honey.
Step 4
Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Consistency should be slightly thicker than pancake batter.
Step 5
Pour mixture into the prepared pan, and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until goldin brown. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick or probe to the center and remove Cornbread when the toothpick is clean (or small solid pieces, NOT with wet batter). Cool completely.
Step 6
Once cooled, dice cornbread to roughly 1” pieces. Corn bread can be made ahead (up to 2 days).
For the dressing:
Step 1
Grease a fresh 8x8” pan with melted or softened butter
Step 2
Toss squash with olive oil, season with salt, and roast in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until just tender.
Step 3
In a bowl, combine pork, taco seasoning, and vinegar.
Step 4
Heat a pan to medium high heat and add seasoned pork. Break into larger thumbnail size pieces with a spoon or spatula and cook until done, approximately 5-10 minutes. Remove meat and seat aside.
Step 5
In the same pan, saute onion and celery and season with salt and pepper Cook until onion is translucent, approximately 5-10 minutes.
Step 6
In a large bowl, combine cornbread, ground pork, sautéed vegetables, white beans, squash, and herbs (if using). Adjust seasoning as desired.
Step 7
Place dressing in the prepared pan, and bake to desired temperature and doneness. Alternatively, stuff a turkey or other protein and bake until done.