The wild rice to use for this stuffing comes from the Ojibwe Tribe at Native Harvest in Northern Minnesota. A highly textured, uneven grain, caramel in color, with a nutty smell, it is wildly different from "paddy," or commercially available rice.
We traveled to the rice lakes of White Earth Reservation for Hidden Kitchens in 2004, to investigate how one tribe supports itself and is changing the diet of its people through community kitchen projects. Each fall, the Ojibwa tribes of northern Minnesota harvest wild rice by hand. It's a long process that brings families in canoes into tall lake grasses. Through its Native Harvest label, they produce and sells an array of traditional foods — wild rice, chokecherry jelly, raspberry preserves, fry bread mix, buffalo sausage, hominy and a selection of beautiful handmade crafts. Healthy foods support a healthy community. Visit Native Harvest online to learn more and help support them by enjoying their traditional foods and crafts.
The wild rice for this stuffing can be bought directly from Native Harvest at www.nativeharvest.com.
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