Native American Cusine

[fboisseau]

le Voyageur,

I had you in mind for this post since from your posts I have deduced that you have a connection to Native Americans and live in the Virginia/Maryland area, but if anybody else can provide some information I would appreciate it. My troop is having a campout in February that theme is Native Americans. We also currently have a problem with open the can and heat meals being the current standard of cooking in the patrols. So my thinking was that if I could find some web sites that had Native American recipes, especially ones with recipes from the Virginia area, the troop could incorporate a cooking contest in to the camping trip. The recipes should also be able to be made with foods that can be found in you standard grocery store.

Thank you.

 

[scoutldr]

Try the following for starters:

 

http://www.councilfire.com/ntvfoods.htm

[le Voyageur]

I'll look through my recipes and post them shortly...

 

Since you're doing a "Grand Encampment" here's some sites that may help your scouts get into the spirit of the event, and knock off a few requirments for the American Heritage and Indian Lore mb's during this weekend by dressing out in period grab...

 

First, the dress of the Eastern Woodland tribes during the 18th century was very simple, basic wear being a long shirt, breechclout, center seam mocs, leggings, leg ties, and a sash for the waist....plus any personal adornment that struck their fancy...here's a photo

 

http://www.angelfire.com/wv/mesawmi/images/teach.jpg

 

As a project consider having the boys sew their own long shirts...cost will be around 5 to 7 dollars to make a shirt...here's the site for instructions...

 

http://www.1771.org/pages/sew_shirt.html

 

a few notes

 

Choosing fabric, look for stripes, checks and calicos with the pattern on both sides. Wal Mart sells some nice patterns for a buck a yard. 4 Yards will make one shirt for an adult with a width of 32 inches...

 

width of the shirt can be reduced down to 28, 30, and 32 instead of the 36 inches shown.

 

the finish cuffs should be about 1 to 7/8 inches in width with button holes at the ends of each cuff. Cuff links can be made from buttons.

 

the front length of the shirt should be 2 to 4 inches shorter than the back. For adults an ideal length would be 42 inches at the front, 44 to 46 inches on the back.

 

shoulder gusset should be around 3 1/2 inches square before folding. Sleeve gussets, 5 to 6 inches square. To keep the front slit from tearing out, the square stop is okay, but the more traditional is the heart shape.

 

the finished sleeve should be around 18(>20)"L x 13 to 15" W

 

Buttons can be homemade from many items..I'm using the tops of small acorns. Others are dorset buttons made only from thread (50 turns of heavy thread around a dowel, frapped around, and shanked to the cuff with thread)...

 

for stiching, use either a running stich (10 per inch), or a back stich. Reenforce stress areas with additional stiching...

 

Final note....this shirt is ment to be loose and baggy, and was in vougue for nearly 250 years as it was simple to make and served the needs of those who wore it...

 

 

 

 

 

[sctmom]

Do you have a history museum nearby? They might be able to provide you with some recipes and problem some people to talk to the Scouts as well.

 

My sister may know some people with Native American background/knowledge in that area. I'll see what I can find out.

 

[sctmom]

What tribes are from that area?

 

[OldGreyEagle]

le Voyageur,

 

Whatever happens, dont leave Boy Scouts, you have such a wealth of knowledge, I would despair if we lost it

[SR540Beaver]

Try some of these sites for native american recipes:

 

http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/021127/Life_recipes.asp'>http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/021127/Life_recipes.asp

 

http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinchesterStar/021127/Life_recipes.asp

 

http://directory.google.com/Top/Home/Cooking/World_Cuisines/North_American/Native_American/

[le Voyageur]

Here's one of my more favorite recipes, the addition of more water will make it a soup, less, a stew depending on taste...but to save time, I've resorted to using canned beans.

 

Three Sister Pottage (this should feed abou 8 hungry scouts)

 

Yellow squatch, about 12 med.

2 15oz cans pinto beans

2 15oz cans northern beans

2 15oz cans red beans

1 15oz can white or yellow corn

1 15oz can hominy

2 Carrots

1 med. Onion

8oz pumpkin (pumpkin pie filling - unspiced)

salt and pepper to taste...

At home.....rinse, drain and store the beans, corn and hominy in large zip lock bags and freeze. (keeps the cans out of the backcountry)

 

In camp....

 

Diced the squaches, and carrots. Cube, or sliced the onion.

Toss in a large pot,covering the vegetables completly with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 30 to 45 minutes. Adjust the water as needed, add salt and pepper to taste (a little at a time, much easier to add more than to try and remove it...)

Add the beans, corn, hominy, and pumpkin, simmer/heat for another 10 minutes (or until hot). The pumpkin can scorch so watch the pot and stir

Note: If you've got a kettle big enough, you can add corn on the cob to the mix....

 

Serve with cornbread, frybread, or...

 

 

 

 

 

[fboisseau]

Thank you the information that you have posted. It should be alot of help in our upcoming camping trip. If anyone has anymore information please continue to post. Thank you again.

[sctmom]

I received the following from a friend of my sister:

 

These recipes came out of the book Cherokee Cooklore. It was published in 1951. You know, back when food was good. I didn't put any fresh killed meat recipes in cause I doubt the boys will run across any good roadkill. But I think it's soooo cool that this troop leader has the [guts] (word edited by sctmom) to take a bunch of younguns on an outing in FEBRUARY. I love it!!

 

This recipe is from Aggie Ross Losiah, grand-daughter of John Ross.

Barbecued fish:

Cut fish into big chunks. String onto pieces of sharpened sticks and hang over or in front of a fire. Turn often and keep near the fire until the fish does not drip anymore.

 

These are from Katie Taylor Brady.

Baked apples:

Take ripe apples. Cover the apples with hot ashes and live coals, cook until as soft as you want them.

 

Dried corn:

Strip the shucks back on some roasting ears and tie them. Hang these in the sun for several days (if the boys are going to have days) untl the grains are dry. Soak the corn and then shell it from the cob. Cook the grains by boiling.

 

Mrs. Wayne Tahquette gave this one.

Potato soup:

Peel white potatoes and cut them into small pieces. Boil in water with an onion or two until potatoes and onion mash easily. After mashing add some milk and reheat. Add salt and pepper. (I put cheese in my tater soup, but that's just me.)

 

Mrs. Clifford Hornbuckle gave these two.

Chicken and corn:

Stew chicken until well done. Add cooked, skinned corn. Cook together enough to get a good flavor, Beans may be added if you like.

 

Pumpkin:

Cut ripe pumpkin in rings, remove the peeling, hang on a stick in front of a fire enough to dry slowly. Wash and cook anyway you like. The old Indians often ate it dried without being cooked. (Blech, oh wait that reminds me of a recipe that I know for pumpkin seeds that IS good.)

 

This un's mine.

Pumpkin seeds:

Dry pumpkin seeds over a fire.

 

 

[le Voyageur]

 

Fried Squash

 

You'll need about 3 or 4 yellow squashes per person, two med. onions, and a half pound of lean bacon..(serves 8)

 

Clean and slice squash and onions thin. Lightly brown bacon, adding onions when the bacon is nearly cooked. Drain excess grease and add squash when the onions are somewhat transparent. Cook on low heat until squash is fairly soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

French Canadian Pottage (Metis)

You'll need a pound each of spicy ground breakfast sausage, and split peas, plus 6 to 8 oz. of lentils and a med. onion.

 

In a fair size kettle saute' sausage draining excess grease, add diced onions, peas, and lentils covering well with water (about 2 or 3 inches above the peas/lentils). Cook on low heat, adjust water as needed as it boils down. and should be done within 45 min. Salt and pepper to taste...

 

 

[red feather]

Not native american but check out macscouter.com cooking sub page. Great recipes. Also search for the Old Geezer Cook Book. Very good.

 

yis