Harvest heyday

Vegetarian Times, Oct, 1998 by Christina Waters

Attracting a huge international tourist population, Santa Fe is a fitting showcase for the culinary talents of Loretta Oden. Raised on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma, Oden brings a lifetime of cooking experience--as well as her Potawatomi and Choctaw heritage--to the recipes she creates for her popular restaurant, the Corn Dance Cafe. Housed within the resort accommodations of the Hotel Santa Fe, Oden's cafe offers contemporary renditions of traditional Native American dishes amid rustic surroundings.

Joking that she "ran away from home at the age of 48," Oden calls her restaurant "a real mission of love. I had no formal restaurant training, but I'd collected all these recipes and finally decided that Santa Fe was the perfect place to unveil them." The menu, which Oden playfully describes as "haute cuisine Indian-style," contains creative interpretations of cooking methods that were old when Columbus landed.

"When I use the ancient techniques and ingredients, like juniper berries, pine nuts and maize, I feel very connected to my lineage," she says, her blue eyes shining as brightly as her silver jewelry. I feel that something set me on this path. It's definitely a spirit-based endeavor. Just consider what went into these foods. Maize, for example, came from wild grasses and to bring it to its present form took some brilliant agriculturists. I marvel at what they did, gathering, cultivating, roasting and storing the corn."

Oden grew up in a family of 12 and draws on vivid memories of women laughing, talking and cooking wonderful things in her childhood kitchen to fuel her dishes. "I take authentic recipes, tweak them and then combine flavors in ways I think will work well," Oden says. Her reinvention of indigenous cookery blends ingredients from both North and South America. "I'll mix wild rice from the Ojibwa tribe with quinoa from the Incan culture." The results are distinctive yet disarmingly simple.

Buying largely from local farmers' markets and from trusted intertribal sources, Oden cooks up a great argument for a return to fresh, seasonally harvested foods. Unfortunately, many people still cling to the stereotype of Native American food as heavy fried breads and pots full of meat, Oden says. But old images are easily shattered with just one taste of the earthy grain and vegetable dishes that distinguish her menu--dishes like the Three Sisters Saute with its ribbons of squash tossed with heirloom red beans, tomatoes and corn.

Unexpected combinations of ingredients are the true signature--and allure--of this tireless perfectionist. "I use a lot of mint, allspice, watercress and purslane in my cooking," says Oden, "as well as edible wild greens, which I like to go out and gather." She also adores chipotle--"my absolutely favorite chile"--and frequently tops main dishes with fruit salsas. "I like to make fruit-based sorbets with the added kick of serrano chilies," she says. For one menu last year, she created a fresh corn ice cream with a papaya puree.

Oden's inventive cooking respectfully fuses old and new sensibilities and by preparing the recipes that follow, you can explore the exotic potential of foods with rich histories.

Green with Cranberry-Cilantro Vinaigrette

MAKES 1 1/4 CUPS DAIRY-FREE 30

Every drop of this vinaigrette is bursting with the flavor of fresh cilantro and cranberries. Drizzle it over mixed greens, or steamed or grilled vegetables.

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  (see glossary, p. 127)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more
  to taste)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup grape seed oil or extra-virgin
  olive oil
Salt to taste
10 to 12 cups mixed greens

In blender or food processor, combine rice vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, water, cilantro and cranberries. With machine running, slowly add oil until well blended. Add salt to taste.

Place greens in large bowl. Add enough dressing to lightly coat. Serve with extra dressing on side.

Per serving with 1 tablespoon extra dressing: 94 cal.; 0 prot.; 8g total fat (1g sat. fat); 0 carb.; 0 chol.; 0 sod.; 0 fiber.

Sage and Pine Nut Vinaigrette

MAKES 1 CUP DAIRY-FREE 30

A very tasty dressing, perfect for a simple romaine salad or a mixture of sliced endive, jicama and red onion.

1/4 cup pine nuts, roasted
  (see glossary, p. 127)
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup olive oil

In blender or food processor, combine all ingredients except oil. With motor running, add oil until well blended.

Per tablespoon: 102 cal.; 1g prot.; 11g total fat (2g sat. fat); 1g carb.; 0 chol.; 0 sod.; 0 fiber.

Sunchoke and Potatoes

8 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE 30

The sunchoke, better known as the Jerusalem artichoke, is neither from Israel, nor is it related to the artichoke. It is the root of the sunflower plant that has been harvested for centuries by the Native Americans. It is delightfully crunchy when eaten raw and may be fried, roasted, boiled or baked.

1 lb. sunchokes (see glossary, p. 127)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. red-skin potatoes, scrubbed
  and diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbs. cider vinegar or seasoned rice
  wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  to taste