Anasazi & Pinto Beans With Hominy & Green Chiles

1 1/2 cup dried anasazi beans

1 1/2 cup dried pinto beans

10 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

3 cup dried indian hominy

3 green anaheim chiles, for garnish

Soak the beans overnight in water to cover. In the morning rinse the beans with cold water and
place in a large pot with fresh water to cover. Stir in the salt, cover and simmer slowly 2 to 2 1/2
hours, until the beans are tender. Add water when necessary and stir occasionally to prevent the

beans from burning. Add hominy and simmer, covered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The hominy

and beans should be very soft and moist, but not too watery. While the beans and hominy are
cooking, roast, peel, seed and dice the chiles. Sprinkle on top of the cooked beans for garnish.

Most southwestern Indians grow beans. The Hopis grow a variety of beans in terraces along
their high mesas, where the crop is irrigated by natural springs. After the harvest the beans are
dried and stored. Some beans are used for ceremonial purposes - from weddings to Kachina
dances - while others are used for their day-to-day meals. For suburban and city dwellers, I've
found that pinto beans, white beans, or red beans work well, but I suggest you also experiment
with some of the other varieties of beans - like anasazi beans - that are now available
commercially. Or you may want to be adventuresome and grow your own variety. To round out
this meal, the beans can be served with Lamb Stuffed Green Chiles, Pan Fried Trout, or Venison

Yield: 6 servings

Aztec Corn Soup

1 1/4 c. butter

3 1/2 C. fresh corn; cut from cob

1 clove garlic; minced or pressed

1 C. chicken stock

2 C. milk

1 tsp. oregano leaves

4 oz. can green chilies; diced

4 oz. Monteray Jack cheese; shredded

Salt

1 lg. tomato; cored and diced

1/4 C. fresh Cilantro; chopped

In a 5-6 quart pan; melt butter over medium heat. Add corn and garlic; sauteing for about 2
minutes. Remove pan from heat. In a food processor or blender, whirl stock and 2 cups of the
corn mixture until smooth, then add to remaining corn mixture in pan. Stirring constantly; bring
milk, oregano and chilies to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Season to taste with salt. Garnish individual servings with tomato slices and cilantro leaves.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Indian Corn Soup

Wash and put 1 1/2 quarts of "lyed" Indian White Corn in an 8 quart pot. Fill with water 3/4 full
and cover. Bring to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for 1 1/2 hours, corn should open full. You may
want to cook corn a while longer . If the corn is not fully open, stir occasionally. Do not let it stick
to the bottom of the pan. While the corn is cooking, cut up 1 1/2 lbs of pork shoulder butt steaks
into 3/4" square pieces. Do the same with 3/4 lbs of salt pork. Place meat in a separate pan and
boil for 1 hour. Water should cover pork 4" or so. Add if necessary...you will need this for stock.
After the corn opens to your satisfaction or two hours maximum, remove from stove and pour
through strainer. Do not rinse corn. Rinse out pot and put corn back into pot. Add the cooked
pork along with the stock. Open three 1 lb cans of dark red kidney beans and add. Rinse cans, add

water to cover mixture 3 inches or so. Boil mixture for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, adding water in

necessary. Stir occasionally, do not let it stick to the bottom of the pot. Serve in individual bowls,
season with salt and pepper after serving. Best if eaten with homemade, warm yeast bread and
freshly churned butter.

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

2 lb Jerusalem artichokes

6 c Chicken broth

1 c Thinly sliced green onions

Salt/pepper to taste

2 tb Minced fresh dill

Scrub Jerusalem artichokes and cook in simmering water 30-40 minutes, until tender. Drain and
discard cooking liquid. Peel and mash artichokes and place in a large saucepan. Stir in chicken
broth and green onions. Simmer for about 15 minutes; season to taste with salt/pepper and serve

sprinkled with dill. Yield: 1 servings

Paganens (Algonquin Wild Nut Soup)

24 oz Hazelnuts, crushed

6 ea Shallots, with tops

3 tb Parsley, chopped

6 c Stock

1 t Salt

1/4 ts Black pepper

Place all ingredients in a large soup pot; simer slowly over a medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring

occasionally.Yield: 6 servings

Posole Soup

Broth:

6 lbs pigs' feet cracked or cut

3 TBS fresh organo leaves,or 3 tsp dried

2 large onions sliced

6 bay leaves

2 heads garlic cut in half

3 tsp black pepper

10 whole mild red chiles

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

5 gallons water

Fixings:

1 head garlic

1 TBS fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

2 lbs prepared posole

2 lbs lean pork diced

Garnish:

1 head cabbage, very thinly sliced

12 radishes sliced thin

1/2 cup red chile or ranchero sauce

Simmer broth ingredients in water 6-8 hours, skimming to remove excess fat and scum the first 2
hrs. Strain, reserve stock. Remove meat from pigs feet and return to stock. Add posole, pork,
oregano. Simmer 4-5 hrs, adding more water as needed, and skimming. Remove garlic head, taste
for salt. Ladle soup and fixings into large bowls, garnish with cabbage, radishes, ranchero sauce,
and if fresh oregano is availabl, a sprig of that. Yield: 12 servings

Sioux Berry Soup

1 1/2 lb Chuck steak,

boned/trimmed

3 tb Peanut oil

1 md White onion,

peeled/sliced

2 c Beef stock (up to 3 cups)

1 c Blackberries

1 tb Honey

Salt to taste

Broil the chuck steak in the oven until brown on both sides. In the old days this would have been
done over the fire, so you might wish to quickly barbeque the meat in order to increase the flavor.

Set the meat aside to cool. In a Dutch oven heat the oil and brown the onions. Cut the meat into
bite-size pieces and add to the pot. Add the blackberries and enough beef stock to barely cover
the meat. Stir in the honey and simmer the meat, covered, until it is very tender, about 1 hour. If
the berries are too tart add more honey to taste. Add salt and serve in bowls.

Wild Soup

The name for this soup is due to the fact that it's impossible to gather all the wild ingredients
needed for it in one season. Young Stinging Nettle greens are available in April (and occasionally
in Oct-Nov.), while beach peas are at their best in early summer and most wild mushrooms are
most readily available in mid- to late summer. Fortunately, boiled nettle greens freeze easily (I just
throw the greens and the water I boiled them in into a 1-qt. plastic container and throw it into the
freezer; it will keep a year or more). Also, many species of mushrooms (such as the boletes
recommended for this recipe) dry very well (their flavor actually improves on drying) and will keep
in tightly sealed glass jars for a year or more. I use an electric food dehydrator to dry mushrooms,
but old-fashioned methods such as slicing thinly and stringing them on a piece of thread and
hanging in a warm dry location for a few days will also work. So I tend to make this soup around
the 4th of July, when I can get fresh beach peas. I'll use the previous season's nettle greens and
the previous year's dried mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1 quart boiled young Stinging Nettle greens (boil the greens in a small

amount of water about 5 minutes; drain but save the boiling water)

1 cup shelled Beach Peas ( you'll need to start with approx. 1 quart of

unshelled pods to end up with 1 cup of peas; I like to pick the pods while

they're still green in color so the peas inside will be nice and tender)

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups diced onion

1 quart soup stock , made from mushroom soaking water and/or nettle

boiling water and/or vegetable bouillon cube

1/4 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's seasoning

1 cup diced green pepper

1/2 tsp. File powder (file powder is made from dried and powdered young

sassafras leaves; you can make your own or purchase at a specialty store

1 1/2 cups diced fresh wild mushrooms (Boletes work well, e.g., Boletus

bicolor); if using dried mushrooms, use 3/4 cup and soak first in warm

water in a covered bowl for 20 minutes; squeeze excess water out of mushrooms,

but save that and the soaking water to add to the soup stock

To prepare: Saute onions , potatoes and mushrooms (if you're using fresh) in 1 1/2 tbsp. Canola
oil as if you were making homefries. When about 1/2 done, add the beach peas and green pepper
(if you're using dried and rehydrated mushrooms, add them in at this time) and saute for a few
minutes more. Add soup stock , file powder and seasoning and simmer ingredients about 1/2

hour until everything is soft and well-blended. Add salt and black pepper to taste; grate a little
parmesan cheese on each bowl just before serving. Makes about 12 one-cup servings. The subtle
multiple seasonings helps the wonderful flavor of the wild ingredients shine through. Yield: 1
recipe