By Caleb has been at twenty-four weeks. He came to Sunday dinner at Terry's for the third time since Christmas, which makes it a pattern, which makes it a new pattern. Danny was having a good Sunday — the good ones are irregular now, unpredictable, which makes them more valuable and harder to watch end. He and Caleb talked for a long time after dinner, just the two of them in the living room, while I helped Terry clean up and Hannah put Luna down for a nap. I could hear the murmur of their voices but not the words.
I asked Danny later what they had talked about. He said: "Man things." I said: "Like what?" He said: "His apartment. His job. The program." He looked at me and said: "Your brother is doing the work." That is the highest praise Danny can give anyone. Doing the work. It is what he said about me when I started welding school. It is what he says about Hannah's Cherokee Nation workshops. Doing the work means you are showing up for the real thing, not the appearance of the real thing. That Caleb is doing the work at twenty-four weeks is something I did not know how to let myself believe before Danny said it out loud.
I made a full traditional dinner this Sunday: kanuchi, Three Sisters soup, venison roast braised with dried chiles, bean bread. Not for any occasion — for a Sunday, for Danny's good day, for Caleb coming to dinner, for the regular miracle of a family sitting down together and being fed. Danny ate more than he has in weeks. He ate with concentration, like he was paying attention to every bite, the way you pay attention to something you love when you know the time you have with it is not guaranteed. I sat across the table from him and I paid attention too. That is the only response that fits.
The Three Sisters soup I made that Sunday was its own thing — long-simmered, unhurried — but the heart of it, the corn and beans and squash cooked down together until they stop being separate ingredients, is something I come back to in simpler form whenever I need the table to feel grounded. This succotash is what I make when I want that same intention without the all-day kitchen. It is food that knows where it comes from, which felt right for a Sunday when Danny said someone was doing the work, and I needed something on the stove that understood that.
Vegetarian Three Sisters Succotash
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or neutral oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 3 ears if fresh)
- 1 can (15 oz) hominy, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) cooked pinto or white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 poblano or Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped
- Optional: dried chile flakes, to finish
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to color, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Build the base. Add the diced pepper and squash to the pan. Season with salt, smoked paprika, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is just tender but still holds its shape, about 6 minutes.
- Add the corn and hominy. Stir in the corn kernels and hominy. Cook 4–5 minutes, letting the corn get a little color against the hot pan if possible — don’t rush this step.
- Fold in the beans. Add the beans and stir gently to combine. Cook another 3–4 minutes until everything is warmed through and beginning to meld. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Stir in the apple cider vinegar — it lifts everything. Scatter fresh herbs over the top. Finish with dried chile flakes if you want a little heat. Serve warm, straight from the pan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 218 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 370mg