Before the arrival of terms like 'organic' and 'regenerative agriculture', indigenous Native American tribes understood how to cultivate the earth sustainably. Take the example of the Kickapoo, an agrarian-forest tribe, that grew their corn, beans, and squash collectively due to the symbiotic relationship among these crops. Known as the 'three sisters', beans sourced nitrogen from the atmosphere, enriching the soil, squash acted as a natural deterrent for weeds, while corn reached sky high, absorbing the sunlight.

I enjoy experimenting with the concept of the 'three sisters' with different fruits and vegetables based on their seasonality and the dishes it goes into, like a hearty veggie bowl or a mildly sweet dessert. Take this salad for instance, it makes a perfect light lunch, featuring a crunchy, fresh burst from miner's lettuce. Cultivated at the Heron Shadow farm for Wahpepah’s Restaurant by the Cultural Conservancy, the roasted squash's subtle sweetness is accentuated by a dash of maple vinaigrette. - Crystal Wahpepah.

Historically, the three sisters, namely corn, squash, and beans, were grown together by Native Americans due to their symbiotic growth dynamics. Tepary beans, compact heirloom beans commonplace in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico, can work in this salad. However, canned white beans such as navy or cannelini can speed up the process. Approximately, one cup of dried beans is equivalent to two 15-oz cans of white beans.

The beans, squash, and vinaigrette can be prepared three days in advance and stored separately. Assemble the full salad as you get ready to serve.

For the beans, use:

• 1 cup dried white tepary beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the squash, you need:

• 1 small fresh acorn squash (2 to 3 pounds), halved, de-seeded, and cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Maple Vinaigrette, take:

• 1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Additional ingredients include:

• 2 ears fresh corn, roasted or cooked, kernels cut from the cob (roughly 2 cups)
• 8 ounces small-leaf lettuce (like miner’s, arugula, spinach, or watercress) (about 8 cups packed)
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and sliced
• 1/2 cup sunflower kernels, toasted

The beans need to be rinsed, sorted (removing any debris), and soaked overnight prior to cooking. Drain beans well. Cook in a large saucepan with 8 cups of water, salt, and soaked beans. While the beans are cooking, start prepping the other ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the squash slices in oil, salt, and pepper; roast until the squash is tender and slightly browned, for about 15 minutes. Join together cider, syrup, oil, and salt in a sealed jar until the ingredients are completely mixed.

Upon assembling the salad, distribute the squash, beans, corn, lettuce, strawberries, and sunflower kernels evenly across four chilled plates. Drizzle each salad with the Maple Vinaigrette, and it's ready to serve.