Native American

This salad is a textural dream—creamy Tepary beans, sturdy dandelion greens, crumbly goat cheese—but our favorite part might be the bright cranberry-sumac dressing.

Smoked salt and herbs add depth and sweet pickled radishes bring some zing to this bison rib eye.

This dish is perfect for long winter days when you want to flood the house with toasty, irresistible aromas.

At Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley, cofounders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino make a deliberate choice to cook dishes that their elders would recognize, including these duck-fat-laden potatoes.

This recipe is based on a traditional dish of the Ohlone tribe indigenous to California’s East Bay.

We asked these members of I-Collective, an organization of indigenous chefs and activists, how they're spending Thanksgiving.

"Holistic wellness has been part of our culture for thousands of years."

The co-owners used tribal notes and advice from elders to design the menu at Cafe Ohlone.

We talked to the Choctaw chef about learning to get your hands dirty and the sanctity of corn.

Chef Sean Sherman on creating an indigenous kitchen in the modern world.

The Giant Bean Succotash is the ideal way to use up summer’s bounty.

Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.

The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.

This makes a simple and hearty one-pot meal. The meat becomes fork tender and the stock simmers down to a rich sauce. Leftovers are terrific served over corn cakes.

A biscuit- or scone-like quick bread, popular in Canada, that's cooked in a frying pan instead of being baked.

I love the Southwest of the United States and the foods of that region. This recipe features three ingredients borrowed from its Native American culture: corn, beans, and peppers. Here, the stew is made with vegetable stock, but you can also use chicken stock. Wood-roasted pork shoulder or chicken can be shredded and added to the dish for an even heartier meal. The heirloom beans come from my friend Steve Sando’s company, Rancho Gordo. You can substitute other dried beans, but the flavor will be best if you use Rancho Gordo beans (see Resources). The stew can be made a day ahead and reheated just before serving. Any leftovers are terrific as a filling for tamales or enchiladas.

This recipe from award-winning cookbook author John Ash features plank roasting, an old technique used by the Northwest Indians who tied or nailed salmon to cedar or alder planks and tilted them over an open fire to cook. The cure in this recipe flavors the fish and acts as a brine to keep it moist.

Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to cook with maize (corn) and probably taught them to make johnny cake, a dense cornmeal bread whose thick batter is shaped into a flat cake and baked or fried on a griddle. These cakes (basically just fried corn bread) are the perfect vehicle for many toppings. One of my favorites is barbecued duck and cranberry butter. Feel free to make your own cranberry relish, use what’s left over from your holiday meal, or purchase a good-quality prepared one.

This dish is a celebration of the Pacific Northwest’s Native American heritage. Native Americans were the first to cook salmon in this way, slowly roasting the dense flesh on cedar planks arranged around an open fire. (You can get the planks at a hardware store.) A light smoky essence permeates the fish as it cooks, boosting the flavor quotient of rich salmon. In addition to the salmon that run though its waters, the Pacific Northwest is known for its lush and balanced Pinot Noir wine. A reduction of the wine is the basis of a darkly fruity, savory sauce that finishes the dish.

This recipes involving as few dishes as possible. (I like to cook, not do dishes.) It’s also a bit larger than many of my vegetable dishes—it makes for delicious leftovers. Succotash has many versions, but all contain corn and beans. If butter beans are not available, I often substitute shelled edamame or black-eyed peas. Small farm stands, local and state farmer’s markets, and even the Whole Foods in my area usually carry shelled peas and butter beans in the summer. They are both doubly precious—extremely delicious and fairly expensive, the result of the luxury of not having to shell your own.