Cooking Corn, Beans, and Squash at Home: Our Three Sisters Recipe Roundup

Have you ever wondered why corn, beans, and squash are often grown –  and cooked – together?

In late summer and early fall, sweet corn, tender squash, and every kind of bean offer a special kind of abundance at our gardens and local farmers’ markets. But with all that bounty, what do you actually cook?

We’re sharing our top 10 Three Sisters-inspired recipes, and by the end of this episode, you’ll:

1. Learn why these crops are called the “Three Sisters,” and get reliable recipes to combine all three... because “what grows together, goes together”
2. Discover quick and easy ways to maximize all that remaining zucchini piling up, from a simple Korean side dish to a rich and nutritious bruschetta topping
3. Find out trusted recipes to make the most of corn while it’s still here, like an irresistible soup and a weeknight chicken dinner 

Tune in now for peak summer flavors, comforting meals, and exciting ways to cook with beans, corn, and squash!

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This week’s episode is sponsored by La Baleine, makers of ancestral sea salts harvested from France.

A high-quality sea salt can transform just about any dish, and finishing sea salt is one of those small touches that makes a big difference in home cooking. 

We love their Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel. It’s harvested by hand during a few weeks each year, when the sea, air, and wind align to create the delicate “salt flower” that rises to the surface. 

Grab a jar of their flaky fleur de sel here, or at your local Whole Foods Market, and add a little French sparkle to your next dish. Use code LESAUNIER15 for $2 off your order!

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Links:

Our three sisters’ episode from Season 2 with Javier Lara: The three sisters: Indigenous wisdom for growing, sharing, and home cooking squash, beans, and corn

Also from season 2, you can listen to an entire episode about Summer Corn 

To learn more about the three sisters, we highly recommend Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass

Corn

Sonya’s corn soup

Grilled chicken thighs and corn with lime-basil butter by Clare de Boer for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Beans

Greek marinated gigante baked beans from My Greek Dish, or a stovetop version from Real Greek Recipes. And here are gigante beans if you’re looking to order some online

Tortilla & black bean pie by Martha Stewart

Squash

Korean pan fried rounds of zucchini (Hobak Jeon) from Kimchi Mari

Zucchini bruschetta (aka zucchini crostini!) by Martha Stewart (add a little basil in it too!)

All Three

Three Sisters Bowl with Hominy, Beans, and Squash by Sean Sherman (The Sioux Chef) for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

Lobster succotash by David Tanis for NYT Cooking (unlocked)

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Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084

For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here. You can also now find us on YouTube. 

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Book a farmers’ market tour with Sonya in Portland, OR!