Aunt Joan Avant Tavares has opened up her archives to share some seasonal recipes that include cranberries. Below is a short story from Aunt Joan about the cranberry. You can also visit www.mittark.com for the full article and to print out the many recipes that she has shared with her Tribe.
I’m red and round like a ball. I’ve lived around Big Bog and other bogs especially Chiefy Mills bog near the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum , the Land of the Wampanoag- “ People of the First Light” I drum and dance all night. Love it I’m in my natural state. Who am I? I share my color with you. As the rain drops fall, I roll around. I have air in my pockets. As the sun shine’s I glisten. Who am I? I share my color with you! I’m in your (spiders-frying pans, breads, pies. Stews, roasts and pies and have been for centuries. You can call me Grandpa and Grandma too.
I promised that Sasumuneash (Cranberry) recipes would be forthcoming, here they are. Many are by Wampanoag and from other tribes and non-natives also. Enjoy
Banana Cranberry Biscuits
Chop or grind 2 cups cranberries, mash 3 ripe bananas. Put in mixing bowl. Add 3 cups self- rising flour, ¼ cup cornmeal, 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup sugar or diet sugar, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 2 teaspoon vanilla, half cup oil, 1 cup milk. Stir slowly with wooden spoon until all is mixed. Roll on lightly flour board. Cut into biscuits. Put on greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 for about 40 min. Serve with butter & your favorite jelly .( joan tavares-avant -Granny Squannit- Mashpee Wamp)
Cranberry Coffee Cake
½ cup margarine, 1 16- ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce, 1 cup sugar, too eggs beaten, (Glaze) 2 cups flour, ¼ cup confectioner sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons warm water, one cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon almond flavoring. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Cream margarine and sugar. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix the sour cream mixture to the creamed mixture. Spread half the batter in the cake pan. Add the cranberry sauce and top with the remaining batter. Bake for 55 minutes. Mix together the ingredients for the glaze and pour over warm cake. Serves 8
(Cape Cod Wampanoag Cookbook Wampanoag Indian Recipes, Images & Lore. Earl Mills Sr. & Betty Breen, 2001)
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Sasumuneash
4 small acorn squash, 1 ½ cups whole or frozen cranberries, ½ cup Abenaki applesauce or store bought applesauce, ½ teaspoon grated orange peel, ½ cup maple sugar or brown sugar., three teaspoons hazelnut oil, Preheat oven to 350. Cut each squash in half, seed and turn the bottom ends so that the halves will stand upright in a baking dish. Bake the squash in the center of the oven skin side up, for 35 minutes. Remove squash from oven. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, combine cranberries, applesauce, orange peel, sugar and oil. Return filled squash halves to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. (Native American Cooking, Dale Carson,1996).
Cranberry Pie
2 cups whole cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup butter or margarine, ½ cup walnuts chopped fine, 2 eggs, 1 cup flour, ¼ cup shortening, Grease 10 “ pie plate and spread cranberries in it. Sprinkle nuts and 1 cup sugar over the cranberries. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat eggs well and gradually add 1/2 sugar, beat well, then gradually add flour, ½ cup butter or margarine (melted), and shortening. Pour last mixture over cranberries in pie plate. Bake until crust is golden brown at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream ( Mashpee Baptist Church ,1978 by C.A.L)
Julie’s Cranberry Brie Bites
You will need 1 tube crescent dough, cooking spray for pan, flour for rolling out dough, 8 oz wheel brie, 1 cup whole cranberry sauce, ½ cup chopped pecans, 6 sprigs of thyme cut into 1” pieces.
Cranberry Grand Marnier Sauce
1 cup sugar, ½ cup orange juice w/pulp. Heat in large pan until sugar is dissolved (3-4 min), Stir in 2 cups cranberries and 2 T. grated orange peel. Heat to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 min. Add ¼ cup Grand Marnier and simmer for 2 min. Remove from heat. Refrigerate overnight. Now preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin tin with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the crescent dough and pinch seams together. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots. Cut the brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough. Top with a spoonful; of the cranberry sauce, some chopped pecans and one little sprig of rosemary. Bake until crescent is golden brown, about 15 min. Serve warm. (by Mrs. Julie DeSorgher of Sandwich Mass)
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
You will need 5 cups water, 7 ½ cups light brown sugar, 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon, 2 ½ tsp allspice, 2 ½ tsp allspice, 2 ½ tsp cloves, 5 lbs. cranberries. Combine in a large heavy-bottom kettle, water, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cranberries then cook over very low heat for 2 hours or until cranberries are completely cooked, stirring occasionally. Spoon immediately into sterilized jars; seal tightly. Let cool and tighten covers again. Let completely cool and store in dry place. This is also nice with a turkey dinner, wild game dinner, any other roasted meat dinner. Serve cold. Keep in the refrigerator once the jar is open. Makes about 15 eight- ounce Jelly jars.
(by Carol A. Hendricks Lopez-- Cape Cod Wampanoag Cookbook, 1999)
Family’s Love Cranberry Relish-Raw
2 cups /raw/ fresh cranberries, ¾ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons horseradish, 1 small onion, ¾ cups sour cream. Chop cranberries in food processor. Mix in all ingredients. Freeze. Two hours before serving take out of freezer. ( by Gail Melix, Quaker-Wampanoag, Santuit Mass.
Sasumuneash, the Cranberry is my name. My thin trailing vines have vanished. In the” Land of the Wampanoag” for the winter. Who am I/? I’m red and I share my color with you! I’m also sharing with you medicinal properties I can give you to help keep you healthy! “ I’m high in Vitamin C, free of fat and cholesterol, low in calories and relatively high in fiber . Researchers around the world are finding components in me linked to the prevention of numerous infections and diseases. I nourished the Native Americans living along Eastern woodlands hundreds of years before explores and settlers came to the New World.( Cranberry Cooking for All Seasons (2002) by Nancy Cappelloni)
