One of the Three Sisters: Squash

Green and specked with spots of golden,
Never since the ages olden --
Since the time of Cain and Abel,
Never such a vegetable,
So with odors sweetest laden
Thus our halls appearance made in.
Who -- oh! who in kindness sent thee
To afford my soul nepenthe?

Rude men seeing thee, say "Gosh!
'T is a most enormous squash!"

Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Mammoth Squash" (1845) certainly is a bit tongue in cheek, but it does pay homage to a most intriguing (and indeed sometimes gargantuan) vegetable: the squash.


Squash derives from the genus Curcurbita and was first cultivated in North America long before the arrival of European settlers -- some archaeologists say almost 10,000 years ago. The name of the vegetable is a reduction of the word squontersquash, which refers to the fact that it can be eaten "green," or raw and it is, interestingly enough, classified as a pepo, a special type of berry with a thick outer wall or rind.

The squash plant was important to the Native Americans. It was one of the so-called "Three Sisters" -- squash, corn and beans. These crops were planted together because they grow in harmony with each other. The corn provides the stalk which the beans need to climb, and the beans fix the nitrogen in the soil that the corn depletes. The squash, which grows low to the ground, keeps moisture in the soil with its broad, green leaves. These three vegetables made up the bulk of the Native American diet. Try growing them in your own garden, as they are a cost-effective way to produce large amounts of vegetable food with little or no hassle.

Here's a recipe from The Settlement Cook Book (1921) for stuffed squash. Serve it as a side dish or on its own as a tasty vegetarian entree.


Stuffed Squash

1 qt. mashed squash
2 tablespoons butter or fat
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 soaked bread
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cracker crumbs

Bake the squash. Scrape out shells, being careful not to break the shells. Heat the butter or fat in a spider (pan), add the onion, chopped fine, let brown lightly, add the soaked bread, mashed and the squash. Fry all together 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from fire, add the salt, pepper and stir in the egg well. Place mixture back into shells; sprinkle cracker crumbs and bits of butter on top and return to oven to brown nicely.

A Film: Water Rationing During the Second World War

Free from the Fields: Stinging Nettles

An 1844 edition of Chamber's Journal lauds the many benefits of consuming stinging nettle tea. The journal claims that nettle tea can cure measles and serve as a nutritious panacea. It cites a charming rhyme which gave instruction for brewing nettle broth:

Gin ye be for lang kail
Cow tho nettle, stoo' the nettle;
Gin ye be for lang kail
Cow the nettle early.

Cow it laigh, cow it sune,
Cow it in the month of June
Stoo' it e'er it's in the blume;
Cow the nettle early.

Cow it by the auld wa's,
Cow it where the sun ne'er fa's,
Stoo' it whan the day daws;
Cow the nettle early.

The plant is indeed a powerhouse of health-giving properties. Nettle broth, or tea, is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, D, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Nettle is also surprisingly high in protein. And you need not only use the nettle for tea; the fresh plant can be consumed in a variety of dishes; cooking removes the toxic compounds found in the plant. Nettle is frequently used in soups, pesto and polenta dishes.

Nettle can also ease eczema and soothe arthritis. The tea can help one overcome the pangs of caffeine withdrawal and also subdue nasty seasonal allergies.


This wonderful plant is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America. Harvest it and use it for flavorful teas or in soups and stews. For more directions on how to harvest and prepare stinging nettles visit natureskills.com. And here's a recipe for stinging nettle soup from cookography.com. Serve it with a crusty bread and white wine.


Stinging Nettle Soup

1/2 cup butter
3 cups sliced onions
3 cups potatoes, cut into chunks
3 cups chicken stock
1 ounce nettles leaves
Small bunch of chives, snipped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heavy cream, to serve

Directions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until just soft. Add the potatoes to the saucepan with the chicken stock, cover and cook for 25 minutes longer. Wearing latex gloves, remove the nettles leaves from their stems. Rinse the leaves under cold running water, then dry on paper towels. Add to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes longer. Ladle the soup into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan and season well. Stir in the chives and serve with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of pepper.

The Austerity Kitchen Challenge: Giant White Bean Stew

Greek white beans, otherwise known as gigantes, are large, slightly sweet beans that are perfect in soups and stews. Authentic Greek recipes use them in slow-cooked stews flavored with fresh herbs. It is important that one procure only the freshest beans as that will cut down on the time spent cooking them.

For this month's Austerity Kitchen Challenge, the Kitchen has developed a version of a tasty traditional Greek bean stew. Substitute large lima beans for the giant Greek beans if you are unable to locate them. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices.


Giant White Bean Stew

1 1/2 pounds dried giant white beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2 small onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bunch celery, chopped
5 large tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup tomato sauce, or meatless pasta sauce
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons thyme
3/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Soak the beans overnight and then cook them until almost tender in unsalted water. Put all ingredients, except for the parsley, in a crock pot (or you can bake the beans at 400 degrees F for forty minutes) and cook until beans are tender and sauce is thick. Once dish is ready, stir in parsley and serve hot (or, for a more traditional dish, serve the bean stew at room temperature with thick slices of Greek or Italian bread).