deliciously yellow

At my tribe I'm one of those women known as "Gatherers and Cooks" it's almost like a job, really, when there's a funeral and we're called upon to do so, we provide meals and what comfort we have to offer to the grieving family...that's part of the cooking...

Each season brings out "New Foods" these are celebrated and sung for...thanks is given and we don't individually gather these foods until they're "brought out" first in the longhouse. This coming Sunday is going to be Huckleberry Feast - my favorite.

That's another story altogether and believe me, I'll share it.

Another staple is dried corn. Our foods were dried and cached during the winter months. Someone would be assigned to go to the cache when stores were low. Some people still know sites of old family caches...

Last week I had the honor to be invited to go to Kotsa Vina's house. Kotsa Vina is a beautiful grandma, the mother of my close friend and sister T. I was so excited to go there, I love these two and spending time with them was a blessing I was looking forward to, but spending time with them while learning a new food practice was over the top!!!!

We got there and Vina handed out aprons to us all. First, time to shuck the corn then she blanched it.

It was brought out on the cob and our next chore was to cut it from the cob.

One of my favorite qualities of Vina is that she's just full of rich stories and each story has a meaning. Her instructions are always gentle and she explains why things are done, I've never seen her crabby or in any way unpleasant...

Once the corn is cut from the cobs it's ready to spread out on tables in the sun for drying.

It was an amazing day and I'm so thankful to have gotten to participate in it!!!