Happy Thanksgiving from City Market

Dried "Indian" corn, local garlic, and local squash at City Market

The extreme weather that shortened the growing season of many farms this summer and caused farmers to have to jettison many crops was indeed a reminder to be thankful this year for the harvest we do have.

Abenaki and other Native American tribes had to learn, over many generations, how to coax nourishment out of the soil, how to cultivate crops and preserve the harvests and store the seeds for future plantings.

Most of us are more removed from the land and can comfortably shop at the grocery store for the foods for our Thanksgiving table. But it's farmers like Jack Lazor, of Butterworks Farm, who are out there battling the weather, the pests, and the odds to grow heritage crops like Early Riser corn and to make those choices available at the market level (and did I mention his cornmeal makes a delicious cornbread stuffing?).

Today I got to teach about the "Three Sisters" in a Burlington kindergarten class. The kids stretched their bodies up high, out, and low to imitate the growth of corn, beans, and squash planted in a typical "Three Sisters" garden. They ground corn with a mortar and pestle, made all-local corn tortillas (topped with honey!), and caught local popping corn from an air popper. 

I'm thankful to play a very, very small role in helping kids learn about their agricultural heritage. This generation of Vermont kids, I feel sure, is going to grow strong and proud....like corn reaching for the sun. They will be able to name healthy, local foods and want to eat them. They already do.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Caroline and 5-year old Andy in Miss Maggie's class at the Integrated Arts Academy in Burlington

Local Corn Tortillas

Delicious with leftover turkey...

1 3/4 cups local cornmeal

1 3/4 cups local all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

3 Tbs. local sunflower oil

1 cup boiling water

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, and salt. Add oil and boiling water. Sitr with a fork and then gently knead with your hands (add more water or flour until you have a soft, kneadable dough). Allow the mixture to cool. Break off 1-inch hunks and roll into balls with lightly floured hands. Press in a tortilla press or roll thinly in a little cornmeal (rolling between pieces of wax paper may help). Fry on a hot, dry skillet for 1-2 minutes each side, until a few brown spots appear and the tortilla is dry. Makes about 18 tortillas.