Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a holiday that honors Indigenous American People and commemorates their history and culture. So today we thought why not get a taste of that culture -- literally!
Hosts Tati Amare and Antea Birchett were joined by chefs Alexis Chingman-Tijerina and Rosebud Schnieder. Chingman-Tijerina is an Enrolled Citizen of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and Schnieder is an Enrolled Citizen of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
Native American cuisine focuses on ingredients that were cultivated before colonists came to America. Some examples include corn, beans, and squash, which are known as the Three Sisters and are very prominent in Indigenous American cooking. Another main facet is cooking seasonally, and following the adage that what grows together goes together.
Schneider is a farmer with Keep Growing Detroit and has made a Three Sisters Garden there, and grows indigenous varieties of seeds.
They highlighted how to make a Wild Rice Salad that is easy to make at home. Follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
- Wild Rice
- Apples
- Dried Cranberries
- Greens (like Kale)
- Ramp Oil
- Salt
Directions
- Cook the wild rice according to the directions and allow to cool.
- Roast diced-up apples in the oven and allow to cool, as well.
- Combine all the rice, apples, cranberries, and greens and toss in Ramp Oil, adding some salt to taste.
For the full interview, watch the video above.
Both Schneider and Chingman-Tijerina work with Make Food Not Waste, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste and delivering food to those in need. For more information on how you can help out, visit the Make Food Not Waste website, and to follow Schneider and Chingman-Tijerina and try their food, follow them on social media for information on upcoming pop-ups.