Turning the corn
In order to prepare Tasemenana (see Tasemenana-Preserving Green Corn post), the corn needs to be turned from time to time, until it was golden brown all around the ears. This picture shows well the eight-rowed white Lenape flour corn being turned as it begins the browning process. I am processing only two ears, Touching Leaves Woman was accustomed to turning all the ears in a pit in the center of the field-20 foot long and about 10′ wide.
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Posted in Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Food preservation, Green corn, Lenape, Native American | Tags: corn, culinary history, food, food history, Food preservation, foodways, Lenape, Native American
Green corn leaning against stick
Posted in Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Food preservation, Green corn, Lenape, Native American | Tags: corn, culinary history, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
The fish (see Fish on a Stick blog for stick placement) is now shown roasting at the fire. I chose to demonstrate this technique with a small fish even though it was typically used with much larger ones. I try to show as many processes as possible and the main fire is busy as the picture shows. In the smaller trade kettle is hominy corn, beans, dried squash and dried venison ready to eat. Green corn ears with silks harvested in the larger kettle. A venison roast is on the horizontal roasting stick. There is a lower stick to the right of the venison with an ear of green corn roasting. My drying rack is full as well with Kahahpon, Tasemenana, and corn silks drying. Another post will explain those processes.
Posted in culinary history, drying, Fish, food, food history, Food preservation, Lenape, Native American, Roasting | Tags: culinary history, food, food history, Food preservation, foodways, Lenape, Native American
To demonstrate the method of roasting a fish on a stick, I roasted a trout at the Green Corn Festival at Phillipsburg Manor. In the picture, I am inserting the center stick to support the fish after placing the two smaller sticks to support the flesh open.
Posted in culinary history, Fish, food history, Lenape, Native American, Roasting | Tags: culinary history, fish, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
When the green corn leaf bread was done, I used my jaspar knife to cut the basswood tie and then unfolded the leaf.
Posted in Bread, Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Green corn, Lenape, Native American | Tags: culinary history, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
Under the limbs of my drying rack and beside the trade kettle of hominy corn, beans, squash, and dried venison, I have just placed the packet of two folded Lenape white flour corn leaves, filled with scraped green corn, and tied together in the middle with the basswood bark. The Green Corn Leaf Bread is now cooking. On the far right back of the drying rack you can see part of the grape vine basket with the drying harvested corn silks and in front of that a wood bowl with amaranth seeds drying.
Posted in Bread, Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Green corn, Lenape, Native American | Tags: culinary history, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
The green corn leaf bread is now in the packet of folded corn leaves under the jaw bone which is holding the leaves in place until I harvest some basswood inner bark fiber to “tie once around the middle”. In the picture, I am easily pulling a long piece of fiber from the inner bark for this purpose. The inner bark of basswood can be used as a source of fiber for making rope or for weaving baskets.
Posted in Bread, Corn, culinary history, food, Green corn, Lenape, Native American | Tags: culinary history, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
The folded leaf was quite easy to fill. I am using a spoon that was made using trade kettle metal as a raw material. The ONLY ingredient in the Green Corn Leaf Bread is the green Lenape white flour corn mashed by using the deer jawbone scraper.
Posted in Bread, Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Green corn, Lenape, Native American, recipes | Tags: culinary history, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
The Lenape white flour corn leaf is prepared according to European documentation of folding it along the midrib to make a “pocket” for holding the green corn scraped from the cob. A second leaf is folded in the same manner and slipped over the first so that the “package” is closed.
Posted in Bread, Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Green corn, Lenape, Native American | Tags: culinary history, food, food history, foodways, Lenape, Native American
To remove the kernels of green corn from the cob of Lenape white flour corn in the green stage, I am using the jawbone of a deer which is a natural tool. Not only does it remove the kernels but the irregularities of the teeth burst the kernels full of milky liquid so that a wood mortar and pestle is not needed to prepare the corn for the leaf green corn bread.
Posted in Bread, Corn, culinary history, food, food history, Green corn, Lenape, Native American
Heart to Hearth Cookery 